Problem
There are different ways that words can relate to other words. Synonyms are words having the same or nearly the same meaning. For example, in the phrase "a strong body with powerful legs," strong and powerful are synonyms. Antonyms have opposite meanings and may be paired in negative phrases, such as in the description "a gorgeous home but with grotesque gothic features."
Homonyms have the same pronunciation and spelling but different meanings. For example, when a package is sent to an address, address means "location," but when someone delivers an address, address means "speech." Homophones have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings, such as allowed and aloud.
Words can have a denotative and a connotative meaning. The denotation of a word is its dictionary definition. The connotation refers to the emotional associations of the word. For instance, the synonyms contented, joyful, and exuberant have different connotations.
Knowledge of word relationships can help readers improve their comprehension and help writers make more precise word choices and avoid spelling errors.
Consider the following excerpt from Brown v Board of Education:
A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn. Segregation with the sanction of law, therefore, has a tendency to [retard] the educational and mental development of negro children and to deprive them of some of the benefits they would receive in a racial[ly] integrated school system.
What is the definition of the word sanction as it is used in the passage?