restraining order

noun

1
: a preliminary legal order sometimes issued to keep a situation unchanged pending decision upon an application for an injunction
2
: a legal order issued against an individual to restrict or prohibit access or proximity to another specified individual

Examples of restraining order in a Sentence

The judge issued a restraining order.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The department threatened criminal charges against stations that did not stop playing the ad, but a federal judge put a stop to the threats by issuing a temporary restraining order against state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024 In her motion for a temporary restraining order — a rare request that courts rarely grant — Richards claimed that O'Brien's wording in several cases violated state rules and laws governing campaign wording. Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 2024 On Thursday, a Travis County district judge granted a temporary restraining order so the hearing could occur. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2024 These include people accused of crimes ranging from violating a restraining order to driving drunk with children in the backseat. Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for restraining order 

Word History

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of restraining order was in 1780

Dictionary Entries Near restraining order

Cite this Entry

“Restraining order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restraining%20order. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

restraining order

see order sense 3b

More from Merriam-Webster on restraining order

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!