SANCTION Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'sanction' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of sanction are accredit , approve , certify , and endorse . While all these words mean "to have or express a favorable opinion of," sanction implies both approval and authorization. // the President sanctioned covert operations

Q: How do 'accredit' and 'certify' relate to one another, in the sense of 'sanction'?

Both accredit and certify usually imply official endorsement attesting to conformity to set standards. // the board voted to accredit the college // must be certified to teach

Q: In what contexts can 'approve' take the place of 'sanction'?

While the synonyms approve and sanction are close in meaning, approve often implies no more than this but may suggest considerable esteem or admiration. // the parents approve of the marriage

Q: When would 'endorse' be a good substitute for 'sanction'?

The synonyms endorse and sanction are sometimes interchangeable, but endorse suggests an explicit statement of support. // publicly endorsed her for Senator

sanction 1 of 2

noun

ˈsaŋ(k)-shən

Definition of sanction next

as in permission

the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something you cannot make a student video without your faculty advisor's sanction of its subject matter prior to shooting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sanction

2 of 2

verb

as in to approve

to give official acceptance of as satisfactory the administration will sanction almost any field trip with educational value

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb sanction differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of sanction are accredit, approve, certify, and endorse. While all these words mean "to have or express a favorable opinion of," sanction implies both approval and authorization.

the President sanctioned covert operations

How do accredit and certify relate to one another, in the sense of sanction?

Both accredit and certify usually imply official endorsement attesting to conformity to set standards.

the board voted to accredit the college

must be certified to teach

In what contexts can approve take the place of sanction?

While the synonyms approve and sanction are close in meaning, approve often implies no more than this but may suggest considerable esteem or admiration.

the parents approve of the marriage

When would endorse be a good substitute for sanction?

The synonyms endorse and sanction are sometimes interchangeable, but endorse suggests an explicit statement of support.

publicly endorsed her for Senator

Examples Sentences

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Recent Examples of sanction

Noun

Iran's economy has been hobbled for years by international sanctions over its advancing nuclear program. —

Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Dec. 2024 No final decisions on either personnel or strategy on Iran have been made official yet by Trump, including whether to slap fresh sanctions on the country, pursue diplomacy or both in order to halt their nuclear program. —

Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve Holland, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024

Verb

Herman has publicly admitted to bringing untrue and false allegations against four high-profile people in the entertainment industry, for which he was sanctioned. —

Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Dec. 2024 All are welcome to join the school's eSports team — with eSports sanctioned by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association since 2018. —

Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 6 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sanction

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanction

Noun

But this act also gave people permission to go far enough—to acknowledge their righteous hatred of our depraved health-care system, and even to conjure something funny or silly or joyous out of that hate.

Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024
When Mar-a-Lago and Trump’s Palm Beach golf club sought permission to hire temporary foreign workers in July 2024, Florida’s unemployment rate stood at 3.3%.

Zach Everson, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024