{
    "term": "sanction",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "an official order that limits trade, contact, etc. with a particular country, in order to make it do something, such as obeying international law",
            "sensetop": "sanction (against somebody)",
            "labels": "(US English)(British English)(North American English)",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Trade **sanctions were imposed** against any country that refused to sign the agreement."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The **economic sanctions** have been **lifted**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Some companies have broken sanctions by supplying arms to the warring states."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The UN called for sanctions against the invading country."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The company is in breach of a sanctions order."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There were calls for the imposition of sanctions."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["economic", "financial", "military"],
                "verb + sanction": ["apply", "enforce", "impose"],
                "preposition": ["sanction against", "sanction for"],
                "phrases": [
                    "the imposition of sanctions",
                    "the lifting of sanctions",
                    "a threat of sanctions"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "official permission or approval for an action or a change",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "These changes will require the sanction of the court."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their ideas received official sanction at the meeting."
                },
                {
                    "text": "No decision can be taken without the sanction of the committee."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The conference gave its official sanction to the change of policy."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The movement was first given official sanction in the 1960s."
                },
                {
                    "text": "No parliamentary sanction is needed for the Treasury to borrow money."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Such a step could not be taken without his sanction."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "authorization",
            "topics": ["Law and justice"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["government", "official", "divine"],
                "verb + sanction": ["give something"],
                "preposition": [
                    "with somebody/​something’s sanction",
                    "without somebody/​something’s sanction"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a course of action that can be used, if necessary, to make people obey a law or behave in a particular way",
            "sensetop": "sanction (against something)",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The ultimate sanction will be the closure of the restaurant."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We now have an effective sanction against the killing of whales."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The school will use all available sanctions to maintain discipline."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There were strict sanctions against absenteeism."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "penalty",
            "topics": ["Crime and punishment"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["economic", "financial", "military"],
                "verb + sanction": ["apply", "enforce", "impose"],
                "preposition": ["sanction against", "sanction for"],
                "phrases": [
                    "the imposition of sanctions",
                    "the lifting of sanctions",
                    "a threat of sanctions"
                ]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈsæŋkʃn/",
                "audio": "sa/sanction/sanction__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈsæŋkʃn/",
                "audio": "sa/sanction/sanction__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English (as a noun denoting an ecclesiastical decree): from French, from Latin sanctio(n-), from sancire ‘ratify’. The verb dates from the late 18th cent."
}