The noun sanction, meaning "authoritative approval" or "a coercive measure," entered English in the 15th century, and originally referred to a formal decree or law, especially an ecclesiastical decree.

Many nations have imposed sanctions on the country because of its attacks on its own people. Trade/ economic sanctions will only be lifted (= stopped) when the aggressor nation withdraws its troops. …

SANCTION definition: authoritative permission or approval, as for an action. See examples of sanction used in a sentence.

Look up sanction in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. A sanction may be either a permission or a restriction, depending upon context, as the word is an auto-antonym. Examples of sanctions include:

Such a case is represented by sanction, which can mean both "to allow, encourage" and "to punish so as to deter." Sanction comes from the Latin word sānctiō, meaning "a law or decree that is sacred or …

Law action by a state to force another state to follow rules, etc.:[countable] to impose sanctions against that country. v. [~ + object] to allow officially: No one will sanction such actions. to penalize by …

1) A financial penalty imposed by a judge on a party or attorney -- or the act of imposing such a penalty. 2) In international law, to impose economic constraints on trade against a country that violates …

A sanction is a severe course of action which is intended to make people obey instructions, customs, or laws. As an ultimate sanction, they can sell their shares.

Economic sanctions are widely used by governments and multilateral bodies as an important foreign policy tool, while their effectiveness to achieve intended policy objectives remains uncertain. This …

Sanction has two nearly opposite meanings: to sanction can be to approve of something, but it can also mean to punish, or speak harshly to. Likewise, a sanction can be a punishment or approval.