sanction

Everyday

1. (formal) Sanction is official permission or approval. tree →
2. A sanction is a punishment for breaking a rule. tree →
3. Sanctions are actions by countries to punish another country, like stopping trade. tree →
4. To sanction something is to allow it officially, or (also) to punish it. tree →

In the lessons

A formal word in school rules («sanctions for bad behaviour»), news and exams. In UK schools, «rewards and sanctions» are the school's praise and punishments. Phrases: «rewards and sanctions», «impose sanctions», «without sanction».

Examples

• The school has rewards and sanctions. tree →
• Missing homework three times leads to a sanction. tree →
• The trip was sanctioned by the head teacher. tree →
• The country faced sanctions from its neighbours. tree →
• You cannot change the rules without the sanction of the committee. tree →
• The team was sanctioned for cheating. tree →

Note

A tricky word: it can mean both «permission» and «punishment» — read the sentence to see which. Formal; everyday words: «allow» or «punishment».