FreeVocabulary
Sanction
/ˈsæŋkʃən/ verb hardTo officially approve or authorize an action -- confusingly, the related noun can also mean a penalty imposed for breaking a rule.
The athletic board voted to sanction the new training program for next season.
Memory Trick
Sanction comes from Latin 'sanctus,' holy or binding -- an official ruling can bless a plan by approving it, or bind an offender by punishing them, so always check the context.