Sanction vs Enforce - What's the difference?
sanction | enforce |
An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid.
A penalty, or some coercive measure, intended to ensure compliance; especially one adopted by several nations, or by an international body.
A law, treaty, or contract, or a clause within a law, treaty, or contract, specifying the above.
To ratify; to make valid.
To give official authorization or approval to; to countenance.
* 1946 , (Bertrand Russell), History of Western Philosophy , I.21:
To penalize (a State etc.) with sanctions.
(obsolete) To strengthen (a castle, town etc.) with extra troops, fortifications etc.
(obsolete) To intensify, make stronger, add force to.
(obsolete, reflexive) To exert oneself, to try hard.
*, Bk.VII:
*:I pray you enforce youreselff at that justis that ye may be beste, for my love.
To give strength or force to; to affirm, to emphasize.
:The victim was able to enforce his evidence against the alleged perpetrator.
(archaic) To compel, oblige (someone or something); to force.
*, I.2.4.iv:
*:Uladislaus the Second, King of Poland, and Peter Dunnius, Earl of Shrinehad been hunting late, and were enforced to lodge in a poor cottage.
*1899 , E. OE. Somerville and Martin Ross, Some Experiences of an Irish R.M.'', Great Uncle McCarthy :
*:In a few minutes I was stealthily groping my way down my own staircase, with a box of matches in my hand, enforced by scientific curiosity, but none the less armed with a stick.
To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.
:The police are there to enforce the law.
(obsolete) To make or gain by force; to force.
:to enforce a passage
*Spenser
*:enforcing furious way
(obsolete) To put in motion or action by violence; to drive.
*Shakespeare
*:As swift as stones / Enforced from the old Assyrian slings.
(obsolete) To give force to; to strengthen; to invigorate; to urge with energy.
:to enforce arguments or requests
*Burke
*:enforcing sentiment of the thrust humanity
(obsolete) To urge; to ply hard; to lay much stress upon.
*Shakespeare
*:Enforce him with his envy to the people.
To prove; to evince.
:(Hooker)
As verbs the difference between sanction and enforce
is that sanction is to ratify; to make valid while enforce is to strengthen (a castle, town etc.) with extra troops, fortifications etc.As a noun sanction
is an approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid.sanction
English
Noun
(en noun)Verb
(en verb)- Many of the most earnest Protestants were business men, to whom lending money at interest was essential. Consequently first Calvin, and then other Protestant divines, sanctioned interest.