estoppel

American  

[e-stop-uhl] / ɛˈstɒp əl /

noun

Law.

• estoppels
  plural

1. a bar or impediment preventing a party from asserting a fact or a claim inconsistent with a position that party previously took, either by conduct or words, especially where a representation has been relied or acted upon by others.

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estoppel British  

/ ɪˈstɒpəl /

noun

1. law a rule of evidence whereby a person is precluded from denying the truth of a statement of facts he has previously asserted See also conclusion

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• estoppels
  plural

Etymology

Origin of estoppel

First recorded in 1575–85, estoppel is from the Middle French word estoupail stopper. See estop, -al ²

Explanation

Estoppel is a legal rule that bars people from making statements that contradict something they've already said or done. By using estoppel, a court can hold someone to their word. Estoppel comes from estop, "to bar or stop" in legal language, which is from a root meaning "to stop or plug up." The purpose of estoppel is to keep one person from being harmed by another's inconsistencies or contradictions. This legal tool might be used if a landlord suddenly changes the terms of a contract he's previously agreed to. Estoppel is also used to keep people from contradicting something that's already legally proven to be true.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

estoppel

Now, he’s suing USC for promissory estoppel, fraud, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing and negligent misrepresentation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The deadline to contest a will can be a matter of months in many jurisdictions, but the statute for promissory estoppel varies from two years to six years, depending on where you live.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 23, 2026

Judicial estoppel, the doctrine preventing parties from abandoning positions they successfully argued before, may offer importers some protection.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026

Collateral estoppel protects courts from wasting time, litigants from wasting money and the rule of law from death by a thousand cuts.

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2025

This obscure occurrence, the discharge of John H. Surratt, which caused not a ripple on the surface of human affairs, nevertheless constituted a cardinal event; for it worked a national estoppel.

From The Judicial Murder of Mary E. Surratt by David Miller DeWitt