Sanctions, ceasefires, extradition, contempt of Congress — news is full of words that assume you already know them. Here are five worth having straight, in plain language.

1. Ceasefire vs truce vs peace deal

A ceasefire is an agreement to stop shooting — often local and often temporary. A truce is broader and usually longer, but still an interruption rather than a settlement. A peace deal attempts to resolve the underlying dispute. Yemen’s 2022 arrangement was a truce, which is exactly why fighting could resume without any treaty being torn up.

2. Sanctions

Restrictions one country places on trade, money transfers or travel involving another country, company or individual. The aim is pressure without war. The persistent criticism is that ordinary people often feel them before governments do.

3. Extradition

One country formally asking another to hand over a person to face trial. It requires legal agreements, court review, and often a political decision — and can take years.

4. Executive order

An instruction from a US president to the federal government. It has real force, but it cannot override the Constitution or laws passed by Congress — which is why controversial orders so often end up in court.

5. War crime

A serious violation of the laws of armed conflict — such as deliberately attacking civilians, or blocking medical help to the wounded. Crucially, “war crime” is a legal category decided by courts, not a synonym for “terrible thing that happened in a war”. When human rights organisations use the term, they are stating a conclusion from their own investigation, which is why careful reporting always says who is making the claim.

Have a word you’d like explained? Send it to us via Get in Touch and we’ll add it to the next edition.