Definition
A sanction is an official action taken by a government or authority, either to punish and restrict someone or to give formal approval to something. In international politics, sanctions often mean trade or financial limits used to pressure a country.
Etymology
From Latin *sanctio*, meaning 'a decree or penalty', from *sancire* 'to make sacred, ratify'. It carried both the idea of enforcing rules and giving binding approval.
Kelly Says
Sanction is a rare word that can mean almost opposite things: punishment or official approval. Both meanings come from the same root idea—making something 'sacredly' binding, either by rewarding or by punishing. Context is everything; the word itself is a built‑in reminder to read carefully.
Translations
AFAfrikaans
sanksie
sank-SEE
BGБългарски
санкция
SAN-tsi-ya
BNবাংলা
নিষেধাজ্ঞা
ni-she-dha-gnya
CSČeština
sankce
SAN-k-tse
DADansk
sanktion
sank-SHOON
DEDeutsch
Sanktion
zank-TSYON
ELΕλληνικά
κύρωση
KEE-ro-si
ESEspañol
sanción
san-SYON
ETEesti
sanktsioon
sank-tsi-OON
FRFrançais
sanction
sank-SYON
GLGalego
sanción
san-SYON
HEעברית
סנקציה
sank-TSI-ya
HIहिन्दी
प्रतिबंध
pra-ti-BAN-dh
HRHrvatski
sankcija
SAN-k-tsi-ya
HUMagyar
szankció
SONK-tsio
IDBahasa Indonesia
sanksi
SANK-si
ITItaliano
sanzione
san-TSYO-ne
LTLietuvių
sankcija
SAN-k-tsi-ya
LVLatviešu
sankcija
SAN-k-tsi-ya
MSBahasa Melayu
sanksi
SANK-si
MYမြန်မာ
အရေးယူမှု
a-yei-yu-hmu
NLNederlands
sanctie
SANK-tsee
NONorsk
sanksjon
sank-SHOON
PLPolski
sankcja
SANK-tsya
PTPortuguês
sanção
san-SAO
RORomână
sancțiune
sank-TSYU-ne
RUРусский
санкция
SANK-tsi-ya
SKSlovenčina
sankcia
SAN-k-tsya
SLSlovenščina
sankcija
SAN-k-tsi-ya
SRСрпски
санкција
SAN-k-tsi-ya
SVSvenska
sanktion
sank-SHOON
SWKiswahili
adhabu
a-DHA-bu
THไทย
การลงโทษ
gan long-thot
TRTürkçe
yaptırım
yap-tir-RIM
UKУкраїнська
санкція
SAN-tsi-ya
VITiếng Việt
trừng phạt
trung phat