sanction
sanc·tion/ˈseɪ̯ŋkʃən/noun, verb
sanction is spelled S-A-N-C-T-I-O-N: 8 letters and 2 syllables (sanc·tion). It appears 2.7 times per million words in written English, the 16,455th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, sanction means “An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of sanction is sanctions.
How many letters and syllables are in sanction?
| Letters | 8: S-A-N-C-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: sanc·tion |
| In writing | 2.7 times per million words; the 16,455th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is sanction?
Sanction appears 2.7 times per million words in written English, the 16,455th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce sanction?
- /ˈsæŋkʃən/
- [ˈsæŋkʃən] ~ [ˈsæŋkʃn̩]
- US /ˈseɪ̯ŋkʃən/
Sanction has 2 syllables, split sanc·tion in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-sanction.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with sanction?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as sanction (/eɪŋkʃən/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: canonist.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of sanction
- sanctions plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- sanctioning participle, present
- sanctioned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sanction mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid.
The whalers had been operating in the contested waters off the island with sanction from the Japanese government.
- 2
A penalty, punishment, or some coercive measure, intended to ensure compliance; especially one adopted by several nations, or by an international body.
The United States enacted a new round of sanctions against the apartheid regime of South Africa.
- 3
A law, treaty, or contract, or a clause within a law, treaty, or contract, specifying any of the above.
verb
- 1
To ratify; to make valid.
- 2
To give official authorization or approval to; to countenance.
The school's inaction further sanctions this misbehavior.
- 3
To penalize (a state etc.) with sanctions.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sanction in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | approbation, validation , sanction , décret , autoriser, ratifier |
| German | Billigung, Sanktionierung , Sanktion , sanktionieren |
| Portuguese | sanção , sancionar |
| Spanish | autorización, aprobación, decreto , sanción , ratificar, autorizar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does sanction come from?
From Middle French sanction, from Latin sānctiō.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).