different between behest vs sanction

English

Etymology

From Middle English biheste, from Old English beh?s (“vow, promise”), from Proto-Germanic *bi (“be-”), *haisiz (“command”), from *haitan? (“to command”). Final -t by analogy with other similar words in -t. Related to Old English beh?tan (“to command, promise”), Middle Low German beheit, beh?t (“a promise”). Compare also hest (“command”), hight.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /bi?h?st/

Noun

behest (plural behests)

1. A command, bidding; sometimes also, an authoritative request; now usually in the phrase at the behest of. [from 12th c.]
   • 2009, “What a waste”, The Economist, 15 Oct 2009:

     the House of Representatives will try to water down even this feeble effort at the behest of the unions whose members enjoy some of the most lavish policies.

   • 2011, Owen Gibson, The Guardian, 24 Mar 2011:

     The Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is to meet with the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, at the behest of the Premier League in a bid to resolve their long-running feud.

2. (obsolete) A vow; a promise.
   • c. 1440, Markaryte Paston, letter to John Paston

     The time is come that I should send it her, if I keep the behest that I have made.

Translations

Verb

behest (third-person singular simple present behests, present participle behesting, simple past and past participle behested)

1. (obsolete) To promise; vow.

Anagrams

• Bethes, Thebes, Thêbes, bethes, thebes

English

Etymology

From Middle French sanction, from Latin sanctio.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?sæ?k??n/

Noun

sanction (countable and uncountable, plural sanctions)

1. An approval, by an authority, generally one that makes something valid.

2. A penalty, punishment, or some coercive measure, intended to ensure compliance; especially one adopted by several nations, or by an international body.

3. A law, treaty, or contract, or a clause within a law, treaty, or contract, specifying any of the above.

Translations

Verb

sanction (third-person singular simple present sanctions, present participle sanctioning, simple past and past participle sanctioned)

1. (transitive) To ratify; to make valid.
2. (transitive) To give official authorization or approval to; to countenance.
   • 1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.21:

     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.

3. (transitive) To penalize (a state etc.) with sanctions.

Translations

References

• James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928) , “Sanction”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VIII, Part 2 (S–Sh), London: Clarendon Press, OCLC 15566697, page 82, column 1.

Anagrams

• actinons, canonist, cantions, contains

French

Etymology

From Latin sanctio

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s??k.sj??/

Noun

sanction f (plural sanctions)

1. sanction

Further reading

• “sanction” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).