ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sanctioned

v.
C1 Advanced US //ˈsæŋkʃənd// UK //sˈɑːnkʃənd// sanc·tioned

v. officially allowed or approved by an authority. It can also describe something that is punished by a government or organization, depending on the context.

v. officially approved or permitted by an authoritative body; conversely, subject to penalties or restrictions imposed by a state or international organization. The meaning is highly dependent on the syntactic environment and the presence of legal or political context.


SIMPLE

The school only allows sanctioned sports events.

CONTEXTUAL

The committee reviewed the proposal and decided that only sanctioned research methods could be used in the study.

COMPLEX

While the government sanctioned the peaceful protest in the capital, it simultaneously sanctioned the foreign companies that had provided the organizers with encrypted communication tools.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Often functions as a participial adjective. When used in international relations, it typically implies the imposition of penalties rather than official approval.

© 2026 English Reference