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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:

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

The following January, Sánchez went public with her own project, going on to publish her book last week despite a cease-and-desist order Zabel obtained in April against Sánchez’s publisher the Collective Book Studio.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 19, 2024

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

From The Status Civilization by Sheckley, Robert

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