1. officially approved or authorized
2. subject to official penalties or restrictions as punishment

Examples

• The tournament was officially sanctioned by the international sports federation.
• Only sanctioned dealers are allowed to sell these products.
• The sanctioned country faced severe trade restrictions.
• Students must participate in sanctioned school activities to receive credit.
• The heavily sanctioned nation struggled with economic isolation.
• All sanctioned events must follow strict safety protocols.
• The sanctioned athlete was banned from competition for two years.