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# sanction

noun (a sanction, sanctions; uncountable sanction); verb (sanction, sanctions, sanctioned, sanctioning)

«sanction» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (formal) Sanction is official permission or approval. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/#m1)
2. A sanction is a punishment for breaking a rule. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/#m2)
3. Sanctions are actions by countries to punish another country, like stopping trade. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/#m3)
4. To sanction something is to allow it officially, or (also) to punish it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/#m4)

### In the lessons

A formal word in school rules («sanctions for bad behaviour»), news and exams. In UK schools, «rewards and sanctions» are the school's praise and punishments. Phrases: «rewards and sanctions», «impose sanctions», «without sanction».

### Examples

- The school has rewards and sanctions. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/#x1)
- Missing homework three times leads to a sanction. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/#x2)
- The trip was sanctioned by the head teacher. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/#x3)
- The country faced sanctions from its neighbours. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/#x4)
- You cannot change the rules without the sanction of the committee. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/#x5)
- The team was sanctioned for cheating. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/#x6)

### Note

A tricky word: it can mean both «permission» and «punishment» — read the sentence to see which. Formal; everyday words: «allow» or «punishment».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «sanction» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sanction/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«sanction» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sanction.html) on Mova free.