cooling-off period

American  

noun

1. a period arranged by agreement to allow for negotiation and an abatement of tension between disputing parties.

   The law calls for a cooling-off period before a strike can begin.

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cooling-off period British  

noun

1. a period during which the contending sides to a dispute reconsider their options before taking further action

2. a statutory period, often 14 days, that begins when a sale contract or life-assurance policy is received by a member of the public, during which the contract or policy can be cancelled without loss

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Etymology

Origin of cooling-off period

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Depending on the answer, it might be time for a cooling-off period.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

After four of them, there was a brief pause, or a cooling-off period with little movement, before the index, and the broader stock market, made a higher high.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 8, 2025

It would require a one-year cooling-off period before an employee of the state government’s executive branch could be appointed to the commission.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2025

While consumer law gives individuals a cooling-off period after signing a contract, there is no such protection for businesses.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2024

You will remember that I did not write my letter immediately after the publication of the first Heaviside Layer story, but waited until the appearance of the second, a "cooling-off" period of three months.

From Astounding Stories, May, 1931 by Various

Related Words

• lag
• moratorium
• postponement
• problem
• setback
• stoppage
• suspension
• wait