1 [C] [usu.pl] sanctions (against sb) an official order that limits business, contact, etc with a particular country, in order to make it do sth, such as obeying international law （对违反国际法的国家实行的）制裁（如限制贸易、交往等）: Economic sanctions were imposed on any country that refused to sign the agreement. 凡是拒绝在协议上签字的国家都受到了经济制裁。The sanctions against those countries have now been lifted. 国际上对那些国家实施的制裁现在已经撤销。

2 [U] (formal 正式) official permission to do or change sth 批准；许可

3 [C] a punishment for breaking a rule or law 制裁；惩罚