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 …

SANCTION definition: 1. an official order, such as the stopping of trade, that is taken against a country in order to…. Learn more.

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

Definition of sanction noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. [countable, usually plural] sanction (against somebody) an official order that limits trade, contact, etc. with a …

Oct 29, 2025 · Sanctions play a critical role in legal, diplomatic, and economic frameworks, serving as powerful tools to enforce compliance, deter violations, and achieve

Sanctions are measures taken by countries to restrict trade and official contact with a country that has broken international law.

As a noun, a sanction is a penalty or other means of enforcement used to provide incentives for obedience with the law, or with rules and regulations. Sanctions serve as a tool to ensure …

In English, the word sanction is first recorded in the mid-1500s in the meaning "law, decree." Not long after, in the 1600s, it also came to be used to refer to the penalty enacted to cause one to …

SANCTION meaning: 1 : an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid …

sanction - A penalty or forceful action taken as a result of not adhering to a law, rule, or command