🇬🇧 Sanction meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

To sanction someone means to officially punish them because they broke a rule or did something wrong. A person or a group in charge, like parents, teachers, or a government, decides on a consequence, such as taking something away, giving a fine, or not allowing them to do certain things anymore.

My parents sanctioned me for sneaking cookies by making me sit at the table and smell broccoli for ten whole minutes.

The principal decided to sanction the class by canceling recess after they tried to turn the hallway into a slip-and-slide with soap.

The principal sanctioned the band after they replaced the school anthem with a dramatic song about cheese.

My parents sanctioned my brother by banning him from video games after he tried to microwave a fork to see if it would sparkle.

In real life, whole countries can sanction other countries by stopping trade or money deals—basically the world’s way of saying, “You’re in big trouble, no dessert for your economy.”

A referee lifts a red card. The board will sanction the player: they sanction him with a match ban, sanction the coach for smiling, and sanction the team with lost points. The crowd boos as the player walks off. He bows, accepts the sanction, and leaves slowly, silent but learning.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

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