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cease-and-desist order

American  
[sees-uhn-di-zist, -sist] / ˈsis ən dɪˈzɪst, -ˈsɪst /

noun

  1. an order by a government agency to a person or corporation to terminate a business practice found by the agency to be illegal or unfair.


Etymology

Origin of cease-and-desist order

First recorded in 1925–30


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.

See Examples For:

The settlement follows a December 2024 cease-and-desist order from US regulators that hit BofA for "unsafe or unsound practices," including failure to timely file suspicious activity reports.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

When threats didn’t work, the commission in 2024 slapped Levy with a cease-and-desist order, which started the process of full-blown enforcement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026

The bank also agreed to a cease-and-desist order from the Federal Reserve in 2024, which it characterized as similar to actions taken against others in the industry and said would not affect its business.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 17, 2026

People Magazine reported Henry had issued a cease-and-desist order last week against Payne after she alleged he repeatedly contacted her.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2024

"On the other side, you'll find a cease-and-desist order."

From The Status Civilization by Robert Sheckley

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