chilling effect

noun

1. a discouraging or deterring effect, especially one resulting from a restrictive law or regulation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chilling effect¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Any form of restricting access to gender-affirming care will have a “chilling” effect on health care for transgender and gender-diverse people, said Dr. Alex Keuroghlian, the director of the Division of Public and Community Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.

From Salon

The complaint stems from charges filed in 2021 by Ashley Gjovik, a former senior engineering program manager at the company, who claimed that an email sent by Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, in which he pledged to punish employees who leaked company information, had a chilling effect on workers’ discussions of pay equity and discrimination.

From Los Angeles Times

“It has a chilling effect,” Strong, a high school English teacher, said of the backlash he has endured in fighting to prevent schools from banning books on race and sexual identity.

From Los Angeles Times

Murphy suggested the ruling, which is public, could have a significant chilling effect on other judges looking to express their 1st Amendment rights, making it unclear what constitutes a political issue versus what is a matter of public interest, independent of politics.

From Los Angeles Times

Hu Xijin, the former editor of state-run newspaper Global Times, warned that nationalistic attacks on creatives like Mo Yan could have a chilling effect.

From BBC