Synonyms of sanction

sanction 1 of 2

noun

ˈsaŋ(k)-shən 

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

• permission
• authorization
• consent
• granting
• permit
• license
• warrant
• allowance
• clearance
• signature
• concurrence
• green light
• leave
• accreditation
• certification
• grant
• sufferance
• seal
• agreement
• stamp
• acceptance
• liberty
• tolerance
• imprimatur
• patent
• acquiescence
• pass
• concession
• assent
• toleration
• OK
• accord

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prohibition
• refusal
• denial
• revocation
• rejection
• injunction
• veto
• proscription
• suppression
• interdiction
• exclusion
• repression
• ban
• deterrence
• embargo
• taboo
• discouragement

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

• approve
• ratify
• confirm
• endorse
• accept
• authorize
• finalize
• warrant
• approbate
• formalize
• sign
• acknowledge
• homologate
• accredit
• OK
• affirm
• clear
• initial
• permit
• certify
• bless
• validate
• license
• enable
• legalize
• allow
• pass
• sanctify
• rubber-stamp
• canonize
• sign off (on)
• reapprove

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deny
• reject
• negative
• veto
• prohibit
• disapprove
• disallow
• decline
• ban
• forbid
• enjoin
• turn down
• proscribe
• ignore
• disregard
• refuse
• interdict
• neglect
• overlook
• illegalize
• spurn
• rebut
• rebuff

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sanction

Noun

Since the beginning of the year, his administration has slapped sanctions regularly on Cuban officials, government enterprises and military companies and has cut off oil supplies to the Cuban government. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

Trump has also kept sanctions and military options on the table, but the prospect of talks, plus signs that Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline disruption was less severe than feared, was enough to strip out the war premium. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Verb

Although Iran’s leading pharmaceutical firms are not themselves under sanctions, several of the largest are connected to sanctioned charitable conglomerates or to sanctioned individuals. — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

Rodríguez rose through the governments of Hugo Chávez and Maduro and became one of the most influential officials in the political system that Washington spent years sanctioning and seeking to isolate. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026

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