Words that have contradictory meanings

Several words in the English language have contradictory multiple meanings. Here is a growing list:

Word  |  Meaning  |  Contradictory Meaning

|
|

sanction  |  official approval, approbation  |  punishment[1]
pabulum  |  intellectual sustenance  |  insipid or simplistic writing or speech
cleave  |  to bind oneself to (Ruth 1:14)  |  to split or divide (Genesis 22:3)
|  |

## See also[edit]

* Essay:Best New Conservative Words
* Essay:Surprising Dates of Origin for Terms

## References[edit]

1. ↑ http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/48837/how-did-sanction-come-to-have-two-opposite-meanings