sanction
- n. 批准
- n. 制裁
- v. 批准
- v. 制裁
- Definition
- n. official approval
- n. a penalty used to enforce a rule
- v. to give official approval to something
- v. to impose a penalty
- Example
- The government imposed a sanction on the company for pollution.
- 政府因污染问题对这家公司实施了制裁。
Synonyms & Differences 近义词辨析
Compared meaning: to approve or officially permit (verb).
比较义项：批准（动词）。
- approve
General, common verb for giving approval; used both personally (agreeing with a choice) and officially (a board approving a proposal); the everyday, default word for this meaning.
常用、通用的动词，表示给予批准或认可，既可以表达个人的赞同，也可以表达正式场合中的批准，例如批准一项提案，是表达这一意思时最常用的默认词。
My boss approved my request for two days off next week.
我老板批准了我下周休两天假的请求。
- sanction 本词
Formal, legal-sounding verb meaning to give official approval, mainly used when a government or organization formally recognizes a specific action; far less common than approve, and easily confused with the noun sanction meaning a penalty.
语气正式、带有法律色彩的动词，表示给予官方批准，主要用于政府或机构对某项具体行为的正式认可；使用频率远低于approve，且容易与名词sanction（表示“制裁”）混淆。
The Olympic committee has never officially sanctioned esports as a medal event.
奥委会从未正式批准电子竞技成为奖牌项目。
Both words can mean to approve, but differ. Approve is the common, everyday word for giving approval, used personally or officially, as in a board approving a proposal. Sanction is formal, used mainly when a government officially recognizes an action, and is far less common.
这两个词在“批准”这一义项上意思相近，但approve更常用、更通用，既可表示个人赞同，也可表示正式批准；sanction更正式、书面化，常指机构或政府对某项具体行为给予官方认可。需要注意，sanction更常见的意思其实是“制裁”（惩罚性措施），这里不比较该义项。