sanction

English

Etymology

From Middle French sanction, from Latin sanctio.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsæŋkʃən/
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -æŋkʃən

Noun

sanction (countable and uncountable, plural sanctions)

An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid.
The whalers had been operating in the contested waters off the island with sanction from the Japanese government.
- 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], OCLC 21345056, page 306:
  The idea that it was more comfortable in the house than out of it, did much towards reconciling his lordship. He felt positively glad that, as his wife had acted without his sanction, she should be subject to all possible inconvenience, as if such could be felt in Henrietta's state of mind.
A penalty, punishment, or some coercive measure, intended to ensure compliance; especially one adopted by several nations, or by an international body.
The United States enacted a new round of sanctions against the apartheid regime of South Africa.
A law, treaty, or contract, or a clause within a law, treaty, or contract, specifying any of the above.

Translations

approval, by an authority, that makes something valid

Bulgarian: разреше́ние (bg) n (razrešénie), одобре́ние (bg) n (odobrénie)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 批准 (zh) (pīzhǔn), 同意 (zh) (tóngyì), 認可／认可 (zh) (rènkě)
Dutch: strafmaatregel (nl) m
Finnish: hyväksyntä (fi)
French: approbation (fr) f, validation (fr) f
Georgian: სანქცია (sankcia)
German: Billigung (de) f, Sanktionierung f
Greek: κύρωση (el) f (kýrosi), επικύρωση (el) f (epikýrosi)
Ancient Greek: νεῦμα n (neûma)
Hindi: मंजूरी (hi) f (mañjūrī)
Italian: approvazione (it) f, convalida (it) f, ratifica (it) f
Japanese: 承認 (ja) (しょうにん, shōnin), 認可 (ja) (にんか, ninka), 許可 (ja) (きょか, kyoka)
Korean: 승인(承認) (ko) (seung'in), 인가(認可) (ko) (in'ga)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: godkjennelse m, tillatelse (no) m
Polish: sankcja (pl) f
Portuguese: sanção (pt) f
Romanian: sancțiune (ro) f, aprobare (ro) f
Russian: са́нкция (ru) f (sánkcija), разреше́ние (ru) n (razrešénije), одобре́ние (ru) n (odobrénije)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: са̀нкција f
Roman: sànkcija (sh) f
Spanish: autorización (es) f, aprobación (es) f, decreto (es) m
Swahili: kwazo (sw)
Ukrainian: са́нкція (uk) f (sánkcija)
Vietnamese: sự phê chuẩn, sự chấp nhận, sự đồng ý

penalty or coercive measure

Albanian: sanksion (sq) m
Arabic: عِقَاب‎ (ar) m (ʿiqāb), إِسْتِحْسَان‎ m (ʾistiḥsān), إِعْتِمَاد‎ m (ʾiʿtimād), عُقُوبَة‎ f (ʿuqūba)
Armenian: պատժամիջոց (hy) (patžamiǰocʿ), սանկցիա (hy) (sankcʿia)
Azerbaijani: sanksiya
Belarusian: са́нкцыя f (sánkcyja)
Bulgarian: са́нкция (bg) f (sánkcija), наказа́ние (bg) n (nakazánie)
Burmese: please add this translation if you can
Chinese:
Cantonese: 制裁 (zai³ coi⁴)
Mandarin: 制裁 (zh) (zhìcái), 刑罰／刑罚 (zh) (xíngfá)
Czech: sankce (cs) f
Danish: sanktion (da) c
Dutch: sanctie (nl) f
Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
Estonian: sanktsioon
Finnish: pakote (fi), sanktio (fi), seuraamus (fi)
French: sanction (fr) f
Georgian: სანქცია (sankcia)
German: Sanktion (de) f
Greek: κύρωση (el) f (kýrosi)
Ancient: κύρωσις f (kúrōsis)
Hebrew: עיצום‎ m (itsúm), עונש‎ (he) m (ónesh), גמול‎ (he) m (gmul), פעולת עונשין‎ f (peulát onshín), סנקציה‎ (he) f (sánktsya)
Hindi: प्रतिबंध (hi) m (pratibandh)
Hungarian: szankció (hu)
Icelandic: please add this translation if you can
Indonesian: sanksi (id)
Italian: sanzione (it) f
Japanese: 制裁 (ja) (せいさい, seisai), 刑罰 (ja) (けいばつ, keibatsu)
Kazakh: санкция (sanksiä)
Khmer: ទណ្ឌកម្ម (km) (tŏəndĕəʼ kam)
Korean: 제재(制裁) (ko) (jejae), 형벌(刑罰) (hyeongbeol)
Kyrgyz: санкция (ky) (sanktsiya)
Latvian: sankcija f
Lithuanian: sankcija f
Macedonian: санкција f (sankcija)
Malay: sanksi
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: хориг (mn) (xorig)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: sanksjon m
Persian: تحریم‎ (fa) (tahrim)
Polish: sankcja (pl) f
Portuguese: sanção (pt) f
Romanian: sancțiune (ro) f
Russian: са́нкция (ru) f (sánkcija), наказа́ние (ru) n (nakazánije)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: са̀нкција f
Roman: sànkcija (sh) f
Slovak: sankcia f
Slovene: sankcija f
Spanish: sanción (es) f, decreto (es) m
Swahili: kwazo (sw)
Swedish: sanktion (sv) c
Tagalog: sanksiyon
Tajik: муҷозот (mujozot), таҳрим (tahrim)
Tamil: please add this translation if you can
Thai: การลงโทษ (th) (gaan-long-tôot)
Turkish: yaptırım (tr)
Turkmen: sanksiýa
Ukrainian: са́нкція (uk) f (sánkcija)
Uzbek: sanksiya (uz)
Vietnamese: hình phạt (vi)
Welsh: please add this translation if you can

stipulation specifying the above

Armenian: պատժամիջոց (hy) (patžamiǰocʿ), սանկցիա (hy) (sankcʿia)
French: décret (fr) m
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
German: Sanktionierung f
Japanese: 拘束 (ja) (こうそく, kōsoku)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: sanksjon m
Polish: sankcja (pl) f
Portuguese: sanção (pt) f
Russian: са́нкция (ru) f (sánkcija)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: са̀нкција f
Roman: sànkcija (sh) f
Swahili: kwazo (sw)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Georgian: ^{(please verify)} სანქცია (sankcia)

Verb

sanction (third-person singular simple present sanctions, present participle sanctioning, simple past and past participle sanctioned)

(transitive) To ratify; to make valid.
(transitive) To give official authorization or approval to; to countenance.
- 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.21:
  Many of the most earnest Protestants were business men, to whom lending money at interest was essential. Consequently first Calvin, and then other Protestant divines, sanctioned interest.
(transitive) To penalize (a state etc.) with sanctions.

Translations

to give authorization or approval to

Belarusian: санкцыяні́раваць impf or pf (sankcyjaníravacʹ)
Bulgarian: разрешавам (bg) (razrešavam), одобрявам (bg) (odobrjavam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 批准 (zh) (pīzhǔn), 同意 (zh) (tóngyì), 認可／认可 (zh) (rènkě)
Finnish: antaa hyväksyntä, hyväksyä (fi)
French: autoriser (fr), ratifier (fr), approuver (fr)
Greek:
Ancient: δοκιμάζω (dokimázō)
Italian: approvare (it), sancire (it), ratificare (it)
Japanese: 承認する (ja) (しょうにんする, shōnin suru), 認可する (ja) (にんかする, ninka suru), 許可する (ja) (きょかする, kyoka suru)
Norwegian: godkjenne, tillate (no)
Polish: sankcjonować (pl) impf
Portuguese: sancionar (pt)
Russian: санкциони́ровать (ru) impf or pf (sankcionírovatʹ)
Spanish: ratificar (es), autorizar (es), aprobar (es)
Swahili: kwazo (sw)
Ukrainian: санкціонува́ти impf or pf (sankcionuváty)
Vietnamese: phê chuẩn (vi), chấp nhận (vi), đồng ý (vi)

to penalize a state, especially for violating international law

Bulgarian: санкционирам (bg) (sankcioniram), наказвам (bg) (nakazvam)
Dutch: sanctie (nl) f
Finnish: sanktioida (fi)
French: sanctionner (fr)
Italian: sanzionare (it)
Japanese: 制裁を加える (ja) (せいさいをくわえる, sēsai o kuwaeru)
Norwegian: sanksjonere, straffe (no)
Persian: تحریم‎ (fa) (tahrim)
Polish: nakładać sankcje impf
Portuguese: sancionar (pt)
Russian: применя́ть са́нкции impf (primenjátʹ sánkcii) (про́тив + genitive case)
Spanish: sancionar (es)
Swahili: kwazo (sw)
Swedish: sanktionera (sv)
Thai: ลงโทษ (th) (long-tôot)
Vietnamese: phạt (vi)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

German: ^{(please verify)} Sanktion (de)
Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} sanksi (id)
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} sancionar (es)

References

James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Sanction”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VIII, Part 2 (S–Sh), London: Clarendon Press, OCLC 15566697, page 82, column 1.

Anagrams

actinons, canonist, cantions, contains

French

Etymology

From Latin sanctio.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /sɑ̃k.sjɔ̃/
Audio (file)

Noun

sanction f (plural sanctions)

sanction

sanction

English

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Translations

Verb

Translations

References

Anagrams

French

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Further reading