As a verb, sanction means to punish. It refers to a punishment imposed on parties who disobey laws or court orders. For example, in the case of Chambers v. Nasco, Inc. 501 U.S. 32 (1991), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the imposition of sanctions on a party for bad faith conduct during litigation.
As a noun, a sanction is a penalty or other means of enforcement used to provide incentives for obedience with the law, or with rules and regulations. Sanctions serve as a tool to ensure compliance and can take various forms, such as fines, restrictions, or other punitive measures. For example, economic sanctions can be imposed on a country to force compliance with international laws, aiming to pressure the sanctioned entity into adhering to accepted standards or agreements.
[Last updated in June of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]