sanctionner
to sanction, penalise
verb sank-syo-NAY Rare
Origin: Latin sanctionare, from sanctio 'decree'
Also means
to ratify, approve
Usage Note
Sanctionner is a 'false friend' trap: it means both 'to punish' and 'to officially approve or ratify' — context determines which. Sanctionner un traité means to ratify a treaty, while sanctionner un élève means to discipline a student.
Examples
"Le règlement sanctionne ce comportement."
Natural Translation
The rules penalise this behaviour.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
6 min read
FrenchNow
5 min read