sanction
n. countablen. an official punishment or rule used to stop a person or country from doing something wrong. It often involves stopping trade or taking away certain rights.
n. a formal penalty or restrictive measure imposed by an authority, typically to enforce compliance with international law or social norms. In legal contexts, it may also refer to the official permission or approval for an action.
The government imposed a new trade sanction on the neighboring country.
International leaders debated which economic sanction would most effectively pressure the regime to end the conflict.
While the primary goal of the diplomatic sanction was to isolate the aggressor, critics argued that the resulting trade embargo disproportionately affected the civilian population.
From Middle French sanction, from Latin sānctiō.
Commonly used in the plural when referring to international trade restrictions. Note that the word is an auto-antonym, meaning it can signify both a penalty and an official approval depending on context.