sanction
gb/sˈæŋkʃən/ us/sˈæŋkʃən/
B2
English
~ 6600
szankció, szankcionál, engedély, hozzájárulás, jóváhagyás, jóváhagy, társadalmi szankció
NOUN
B2
FORMAL
1
szankció
B2
Usage pattern:
[authority] imposes sanctions on [country/person/organization]
The government announced new sanctions against the regime after the missile test.
A kormány a rakétateszt után új szankciókat jelentett be a rezsimmel szemben.
Western countries imposed strict economic sanctions in response to the invasion.
A nyugati országok szigorú gazdasági szankciókat vezettek be az invázióra válaszul.
Companies that break the agreement could face heavy financial sanctions.
Sanctions were lifted once the country complied with international inspectors.
The threat of sanctions is meant to push the leaders back to the negotiating table.
Learner examples
The United Nations put sanctions on the country.
Az ENSZ szankciókat vezetett be az országgal szemben.
Many people lost their jobs because of the economic sanctions.
Sokan elvesztették az állásukat a gazdasági szankciók miatt.
If the company lies, it may receive serious sanctions.
The government will lift the sanctions if the war stops.
They use sanctions to make the leaders change their actions.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'sanction' with only positive approval. In news and politics, 'sanctions' almost always means punishments or restrictions, usually used in the plural and followed by 'on' or 'against' (e.g., 'sanctions on Russia', not 'sanctions to Russia').
Meaning
official penalty or punishment
Collocations
economic sanctions
|trade sanctions
|international sanctions
|impose sanctions
|lift sanctions
|tough sanctions
Synonyms
penalty (More general and less formal; can refer to any kind of punishment, not only official or political ones.)
Antonyms
incentive (Focuses on a positive reward to encourage behavior, rather than a punishment to discourage it.)
Themes
politics
|law
|business
Definition
An official punishment or limit from a government or organization to make someone follow rules or laws.
An official penalty or restrictive measure, especially by a government or organization, used to force someone to obey laws, rules, or international agreements.
VERB
B2
FORMAL
2
szankcionál
C1
Usage pattern:
[authority] sanctions [country/organization/person] for [action]
Several companies were sanctioned for doing business with the banned regime.
Több vállalatot is szankcionáltak, amiért üzleteltek a tiltólistán lévő rezsimmel.
The league decided to sanction the club for repeated racist chants by its supporters.
A liga úgy döntött, hogy szankcionálja a klubot a szurkolók ismétlődő rasszista rigmusai miatt.
The international community threatened to sanction leaders who blocked humanitarian aid.
Regulators can sanction banks that fail to follow anti-money-laundering rules.
He argued that the court had no authority to sanction him for his comments.
Learner examples
The UN may sanction the government for the attack.
Az ENSZ szankcionálhatja a kormányt a támadás miatt.
The company was sanctioned for breaking the law.
A vállalatot szankcionálták a törvénysértés miatt.
The sports group will sanction the team after the fight.
The bank was sanctioned because it did not follow the rules.
They plan to sanction any country that helps the rebels.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the opposite sense of 'sanction' meaning 'approve'. In political and legal news, 'to sanction' almost always means to punish or restrict, not to approve.
Meaning
to punish officially with sanctions
Collocations
sanction a country
|sanction a company
|sanction individuals
|sanction violations
|sanction behavior
|sanction over [issue]
Synonyms
penalize (Very similar meaning; slightly broader and more common in everyday contexts like sports or school, not just politics.)
Antonyms
reward (Means to give something positive in response to behavior, instead of punishing it.)
Themes
politics
|law
|business
Definition
To punish officially by putting limits or extra rules on a person, group, or country that did something wrong.
To impose official penalties or restrictive measures on a person, organization, or country for breaking rules, laws, or agreements.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
3
Usage pattern:
[action] requires the sanction of [authority]
The plan proceeded with the full sanction of the board of directors.
No funds can be released without the sanction of the finance committee.
The agreement lacked the formal sanction of the court and was therefore unenforceable.
He spoke out without the sanction of his superiors.
Any change to the constitution requires the sanction of two-thirds of the members.
Learner examples
You cannot build here without the city’s sanction.
The project has the sanction of the school.
They acted without the sanction of the manager.
The judge gave his sanction to the new plan.
The rules need the sanction of the board.
Common mistake:
Learners often think 'sanction' always means 'punishment'. In legal and formal writing, 'sanction' as a noun can also mean 'official approval'. Context and prepositions help: 'with the sanction of' usually means approval, not punishment.
Meaning
official approval or permission
Collocations
with the sanction of
|without the sanction of
|official sanction
|legal sanction
|sanction of the court
|sanction of the board
Synonyms
authorization (Very close in meaning; slightly more common in everyday business and admin contexts.)
Antonyms
prohibition (Refers to an official ban, the opposite of permission or approval.)
Themes
law
|bureaucracy
|work
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Official permission from a person or group in power to do something.
Official permission or approval from an authority for an action, decision, or arrangement.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
4
jóváhagy
B2
Usage pattern:
[authority] sanctions [plan/action/arrangement]
The board refused to sanction the merger until more information was provided.
Az igazgatótanács nem volt hajlandó jóváhagyni az összeolvadást, amíg nem kapott több információt.
The minister sanctioned the use of public funds for the new program.
A miniszter jóváhagyta a közpénzek felhasználását az új programra.
No new construction will be sanctioned until the safety review is complete.
The tournament is sanctioned by the international tennis federation.
The policy was sanctioned at the highest level of government.
Learner examples
The manager will not sanction the trip this year.
A vezető idén nem fogja jóváhagyni az utazást.
The school sanctioned the event after checking the plan.
Az iskola a terv ellenőrzése után jóváhagyta a rendezvényt.
Only the doctor can sanction this type of treatment.
The city must sanction the building before work starts.
The group will sanction the project if it is safe.
Common mistake:
Learners may assume 'sanction' as a verb always means 'punish'. In business and legal texts, it often means 'approve'. Check whether the subject is an authority allowing something (approve) or reacting to wrongdoing (punish).
Meaning
to officially approve or authorize
Collocations
sanction a deal
|sanction a plan
|sanction the use of
|sanction a project
|sanction a meeting
|sanction the event
Synonyms
authorize (Very close in meaning; slightly more common and straightforward for learners.)
Antonyms
forbid (Means to refuse permission or say that something is not allowed.)
Themes
law
|work
|bureaucracy
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To officially say that something is allowed, usually by someone in power.
To give official permission or approval for something, especially by a person or body in authority.
NOUN
C2
FORMAL
5
Usage pattern:
the sanctions of [society/morality/religion]
The sanctions of public opinion can be as powerful as any legal punishment.
A közvélemény nyomása ugyanolyan erős lehet, mint bármely jogi büntetés.
In small communities, social sanctions help to maintain shared standards of behavior.
Kis közösségekben a társadalmi szankciók segítenek fenntartani a közös viselkedési normákat.
Her actions went against the moral sanctions of her upbringing.
Religious sanctions played a major role in shaping their daily lives.
Without effective social sanctions, corruption can easily spread.
Learner examples
Social sanctions stop many people from lying.
A társadalmi szankciók sok embert visszatartanak a hazugságtól.
He felt the moral sanctions of his culture very strongly.
Nagyon erősen érezte a kultúrája erkölcsi nyomását.
In their town, social sanctions are very strict.
Religious sanctions guide what they can eat and drink.
The sanctions of society can be stronger than the law.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to understand this meaning in terms of specific laws or fines. Here, 'sanctions' refers more broadly to social approval or disapproval that guides behavior, often in academic or sociological writing.
Meaning
social or moral control on behavior
Collocations
social sanctions
|moral sanctions
|religious sanctions
|sanctions of society
|sanctions of public opinion
|sanctions of tradition
Synonyms
social pressure (Less formal and more descriptive, but captures the idea of society influencing behavior.)
Antonyms
license (In this context, suggests freedom to act without social or moral restriction.)
Themes
society
|ethics
|relationships
|religion
Definition
The way that society’s approval or disapproval controls what people do.
Social, moral, or religious pressure that supports or discourages certain types of behavior, often through approval or disapproval.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sanction
IPA
GB/sˈæŋkʃən/
US/sˈæŋkʃən/
Syllables & stress
sanc - tion (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sanc)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sanction
- Plural: sanction, sanctions
Verb
- Base: sanction
- 3rd Person Singular: sanctions
- Present Participle: sanctioning
- Past: sanctioned
Word family
Forms
sanctions
noun
sanctioning
verb
sanctioned
verb
Negative and opposite forms
unsanctioned
adjective
Advanced or less common
sanctionable
adjective
Expressions
economic sanctions
1/ˌɛkənˈɑmɪk sˈæŋkʃənz/
fixed phrase
formal
trade- or finance-based sanctions
Punishments that use money, trade, or business limits to put pressure on a country or group.
Examples
- Economic sanctions have severely weakened the country’s currency.
- The foreign minister warned that economic sanctions could hurt ordinary citizens.
face sanctions
1/fˈeɪs sˈæŋkʃənz/
fixed phrase
formal
to risk receiving sanctions
To be in a situation where you may soon get official punishment or limits.
Examples
- The country could face sanctions if it continues its nuclear program.
- Companies that ignore the new rules may face sanctions from regulators.
lift sanctions
1/lˈɪft sˈæŋkʃənz/
fixed phrase
formal
to remove existing sanctions
To officially stop using penalties or limits that were in place.
Examples
- The government agreed to lift sanctions once the peace deal was signed.
- They refused to lift sanctions until all political prisoners were released.
sanctions regime
1/sˈæŋkʃənz ɹɪʒˈim/
fixed phrase
formal
overall system of sanctions
The full set of rules and punishments used as sanctions against a country or group.
Examples
- Analysts say the current sanctions regime is too weak to change the government’s behavior.
- They agreed to review the entire sanctions regime after the election.
trade sanctions
1/tɹˈeɪd sˈæŋkʃənz/
fixed phrase
formal
sanctions limiting trade
Official rules that stop or limit trade with another country as a way to punish it.
Examples
- The United States announced new trade sanctions on imported steel.
- Trade sanctions have reduced the country’s access to foreign goods.
UN sanctions
1/jˈu ˈɛn sˈæŋkʃənz/
fixed phrase
formal
United Nations–approved sanctions
Punishments or limits that are decided and used by the United Nations.
Examples
- UN sanctions were tightened after reports of human rights abuses.
- The ambassador called for tougher UN sanctions on the regime.
under sanctions
1/ˈʌndɚ sˈæŋkʃənz/
fixed phrase
formal
currently subject to sanctions
Being in a situation where official punishments or limits are already in place.
Examples
- The country has been under sanctions for more than a decade.
- Banks under sanctions are cut off from international markets.
with the sanction of
1/wˈɪθ ðə sˈæŋkʃən əv/
fixed phrase
formal
having official approval of
Having official permission from a person or group in power.
Examples
- The research was carried out with the sanction of the ethics committee.
- He spoke to the media with the sanction of his department.
without the sanction of
1/wɪðˈaʊt ðə sˈæŋkʃən əv/
fixed phrase
formal
lacking official approval of
Not having official permission from a person or group in power.
Examples
- They signed the agreement without the sanction of the board.
- No payments can be made without the sanction of the finance director.
impose sanctions
1/ɪmpˈoʊz sˈæŋkʃənz/
fixed phrase
formal
Apply official penalties against nation or group
To take official action to punish a country or group, often by limiting trade or contact.
Examples
- The UN imposed sanctions on the regime for human rights violations.
- The EU plans to impose sanctions on companies that violate the embargo.
- Several countries imposed sanctions after the invasion.
- Many countries refused to impose sanctions, fearing damage to their own economies.
- The league may impose sanctions if the club breaks the rules again.