approve , O.K. , okay , sanction (verb) - give sanction to; "I approve of his educational policies"
sanction (verb) - give authority or permission to
sanction (verb) - give religious sanction to, such as through on oath; "sanctify the marriage"
sanction , countenance , endorsement , indorsement , warrant , imprimatur (noun) - formal and explicit approval; "a Democrat usually gets the union's endorsement"
sanction (noun) - a mechanism of social control for enforcing a society's standards
authority , authorization , authorisation , sanction (noun) - official permission or approval; "authority for the program was renewed several times"
sanction (noun) - the act of final authorization; "it had the sanction of the church"