sanctionnoun
uk/ˈsæŋk.ʃən/us/ˈsæŋk.ʃən/sanction noun (ORDER)
[ C usually plural ] an official order, such as the stopping of trade, that is taken against a country in order to make it obey international law:
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.
C2 [ C ] a strong action taken in order to make people obey a law or rule, or a punishment given when they do not obey:
Without realistic sanctions, some teachers have difficulty keeping order in the classroom.
More examples
- A package of economic sanctions is to be enacted against the country.
- The UN has imposed punitive sanctions on the invading country.
- The UN announced its intentions to toughen sanctions still further.
- She is in favour of a relaxation of the sanctions.
- People were surprised at the time by the severity of the sanctions.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
UK politics: legislation & law-making
- abolish
- abrogate
- amendment
- assemblyman
- assemblywoman
- constitution
- constitutional
- jurisprudence
- lawmaker
- legalize
- legislate
- legislative
- legitimate
- passage
- prohibition
- proscribe
- quash
- repeal
- rescind
- rider
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Punishing & punishments
sanction noun (APPROVAL)
[ U ] approval or permission, especially formal or legal:
They tried to get official sanction for the plans.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Allowing and permitting
- admit of sth
- allow
- allow of sth
- allowable
- authorization
- authorize
- concession
- green
- leave
- let
- let sb/sth in
- let sb/sth out
- licence
- license
- mandate
- OK
- open the floodgates idiom
- submit
- unlicensed
- variance
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sanctionverb [ T ]
uk/ˈsæŋk.ʃən/us/ˈsæŋk.ʃən/to formally give permission for something:
The government was reluctant to sanction intervention in the crisis.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Accepting & agreeing
- accept
- accredited
- assent
- be ruled by sb idiom
- buy-in
- conclude
- countenance
- court
- gauntlet
- leap
- listen to reason idiom
- middle ground
- mustn't grumble idiom
- pounce
- reach
- settlement
- signatory
- swallow
- take sb up on sth
- unquestioning
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