Sanctions is the plural of '''sanction'''. (Depending on context, a sanction can be either a punishment or a permission. The word is a Contronym .)
Sanctions involving countries:
International Sanctions , punitive measures adopted by a country or group of countries against another nation for political reasons
--- Diplomatic Sanctions , the reduction or removal of diplomatic ties, such as embassies
--- Economic Sanctions , typically a ban on trade, possibly limited to certain sectors such as armaments, or with certain exceptions (such as food and medicine)
Trade Sanctions , economic sanctions applied for non-political reasons, typically as part of a trade dispute, or for purely economic reasons, and typically involving Tariff s or similar measures, rather than bans.
Other meanings:
In a legal context, Sanctions are penalties imposed by the courts.
In a sociology context, sanction may refer to Social Control .
