sanction (/ˈsæŋk.ʃən/)
noun · Advanced · Work & Business
🔊 /ˈsæŋk.ʃən/
Meaning
Meaning: penalty or official approval
An official penalty against a country or group, or, with the opposite meaning, official permission.
Examples
🗣 Several countries placed trade sanctions on the nation to pressure it into changing its policies.
Etymology
From Latin ‘sanctio’ (a decree, ordinance), from ‘sancire’ (to make sacred, ratify).
How & Where It’s Used
A contronym: it can mean both to punish and to approve.
Tags: trade, legal