GRE vocabulary
Sanction
A threatened penalty for disobeying a law or rule OR official permission or approval for an action.
Example
"The international community imposed sanctions on the rogue nation, but later sanctioned a humanitarian aid effort."
Etymology
From Latin sanctio(n-), from sancire 'ratify'. Originally meaning 'a law or decree', it developed contradictory meanings: 'authoritative permission' and 'a penalty for disobedience'.
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