Synonyms

gag order

American

[gag awr-der] / ˈgæg ˌɔr dər /

noun

Law.

a court order banning reporters, attorneys, and other parties involved in a case being tried in a court of law from reporting on or publicly disclosing anything relating to the case.

Etymology

Origin of gag order

First recorded in 1975–80

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.

He was released to house arrest after 183 days and has been under a media gag order since.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 19, 2025

Under the current gag order, the documents are exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2025

It provided no further details, citing a court-imposed gag order on the case.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2025

When these laws are interpreted as a gag order against “offensive speech concerning matters of race, sex, and other personal characteristics,” Cronin explained, they raise severe constitutional concerns.

From Slate • Feb. 5, 2025

Americans, not bound by the gag order, began posting accounts of the trial — which any Canadian with a Net account could promptly read.

From Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet by Electronic Frontier Foundation

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