sanction

noun

the act of final authorization

official permission or approval

a mechanism of social control for enforcing a society's standards

formal and explicit approval

verb

give religious sanction to, such as through on oath

give authority or permission to

give sanction to

Roots

sanctussanct- · Latin · holy, sacred

Synonyms for sanction

imprimaturn approvev authorizationn endorsementn authorityn approvaln approbationn warrantn authorizev assentn permissionn punishmentn

Synonyms & related words for sanction

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of sanction — including imprimatur, approve, authorization, endorsement, authority, approval. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to sanction

Explore words related to sanction — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include sanctionless, approbate, sanctionable, approbatory, appro, reapprove, approbative, censure. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for sanction

Common synonyms for sanction include imprimatur, approve, authorization, endorsement, authority, approval, approbation, warrant — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does sanction come from?

The word sanction breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root sanct-, from Latin sanctus (“holy, sacred”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.