unsanctioned

adjective

un·​sanc·​tioned ˌən-ˈsaŋ(k)-shənd How to pronounce unsanctioned (audio)
: lacking effective or authoritative approval or consent : not sanctioned
an unsanctioned boxing match
… a solution unsanctioned by educated custom …Edward Finegan

Examples of unsanctioned in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez said in a statement released Wednesday that the vehicles involved may have been part of an unsanctioned car club. Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2025 Some are more well-known than others, but all of them have value, even the unsanctioned $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy between Minnesota and Nebraska. Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 July 2025 Participating–fighting and dying–on behalf of America in a publicly unsanctioned war has left HMong soldiers doubly disgraced: forced to flee their home country and unrecognized for their service in their new country. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 As of Friday afternoon, the National Parks Service had approved a protest permit for just one demonstration related to the parade, but other unsanctioned protests could pop up. Alana Wise, NPR, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsanctioned

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsanctioned was in 1785

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Cite this Entry

“Unsanctioned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsanctioned. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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