ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsSsanction
ISEE/SSAThard
sanction
Meaning: to give official approval; or, conversely, to impose a penalty on (a contronym — both senses tested)
sanction in a sentence
How sanction is used in real sentences:
The committee sanctioned the new schedule.
The committee sanctioned the new schedule.
“The county inspector had sanctioned overnight production for festival weekend, and his signed form above the mixer reassured her.”
— from the passage Before Sunrise
Synonyms for sanction
Other words for sanction — authorize, approve, permit and endorse — carry the same meaning.
- authorize
- approve
- permit
- endorse
Antonyms of sanction
Words that mean the opposite of sanction:
- forbid
- ban
Where it comes from
From Latin sancire 'to make sacred'
Word parts
- sacr/sanct — holy; sacred
sanction: sanct (establish solemnly) + -ion (action or result)
Memory hook
SANCTION — makes it SACRED-allowed.