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restraining order

American

noun

Law.

a judicial order to forbid a particular act until a decision is reached on an application for an injunction.

restraining order British

noun

law an order issued by a civil court to a potential abuser to keep away from those named in the order

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of restraining order

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Madison Atiabi made the claim this week in an application for a temporary restraining order obtained by The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

The request for a temporary restraining order was denied by a Los Angeles Superior Court judicial officer and a hearing is scheduled for April 14.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Nevada secured a temporary restraining order against prediction-market platform Kalshi for offering event-based contracts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

On Thursday, TMZ reported that Mortensen has filed in Utah for a restraining order against Paul.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

“As a heart attack. I tried to get in touch with Jared, but Mr. Christensen answered his phone and told me not to call anymore. Said they’d take out a restraining order if I did.”

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023