moratorium

American  

[mawr-uh-tawr-ee-uhm, -tohr-, mor-] / ˌmɔr əˈtɔr i əm, -ˈtoʊr-, ˌmɒr- /

noun

• moratoria,
  plural
• moratoriums
  plural

1. a suspension of activity.

   a moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons.

2. a legally authorized period to delay payment of money due or the performance of some other legal obligation, as in an emergency.

3. an authorized period of delay or waiting.

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moratorium British  

/ ˌmɒrəˈtɔːrɪəm /

noun

1. a legally authorized postponement of the fulfilment of an obligation

2. an agreed suspension of activity

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moratorium Cultural  

1. A period of delay agreed to by parties to a dispute or parties who are negotiating. A moratorium may also be an authorized delay in the repayment of a loan, especially by a nation (as in a moratorium on war debts).

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Usage

What does moratorium mean? A moratorium is most commonly an official suspension or delay of some activity. Moratorium often specifically refers to the postponement of the requirement to make some kind of payment, such as rent. Such moratoriums are often enacted during emergencies or other unusual circumstances in order to provide relief to people who have lost their usual source of income. Another kind of moratorium is imposed by governments or international bodies on particular activities, such as nuclear testing or offshore drilling. Moratoriums are often temporary. They can be scheduled to end after a specified period of time, or they can be indefinite, meaning the end date will be decided later. Moratorium is also used casually (often as part of a joke) to mean an informal ban on something that you want to stop, as in I think it’s time to put a moratorium on watching TV for a while, kids. The correct plural of moratorium can be either moratoriums or moratoria. Technically speaking, moratoria is the Latin-based plural form of moratorium. (Many other Latin-derived words can be pluralized in the same way, but many are rarely used, such as stadia as the plural for stadium.)Example: Due to the pandemic, some local governments have placed a moratorium on utility payments since so many people are out of work and won’t be able to pay their bills.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• moratory
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• moratoria
  plural
• moratoriums
  plural

Etymology

Origin of moratorium

1870–75; < New Latin, Late Latin morātōrium, noun use of neuter of morātōrius moratory

Explanation

A moratorium is the suspension of a particular activity — you could have a moratorium on fishing, baking, the use of candles, or the wearing of matching socks. Generally, moratoriums go into effect when something becomes seen as being not okay for now, but might go back to being okay later. After the water fountain started to burble up green sludge, the principal put a moratorium on drinking any water at school until the fountains were fixed and the water tested.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

moratorium moratoria moratoriums

In the interim, Hazle Township has enacted a temporary moratorium on data-center construction, while it works to update its zoning laws.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

The party called on First Minister John Swinney to back a moratorium on planning approvals.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Russia has placed a ban on its own diesel exports through the end of September and is widely expected to extend that moratorium.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

“We cannot put a moratorium on this because China will overlap us, and that’s the challenge,” Johnson said Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

His idea was to offer the Russians a two-year moratorium on nuclear testing, with compliance to be verified by eight to twelve monitoring stations on each country’s territory.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Anti-AI sentiment is becoming increasingly serious, and moratoria on data-center development in the U.S. are growing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Montebello, El Monte and Baldwin Park have all enacted temporary moratoria, and Alhambra recently banned data centers as part of a zoning code update.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

These could include eviction moratoria, limiting late fees on rent payments, increasing access to emergency rental assistance, and freezing rent increases.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 14, 2023

In the past, arguments about the risk of executing the innocent and breakdowns in the death penalty system have led other states to impose moratoria on executions.

From Slate ● Oct. 12, 2023

Thirdly: The most botched subject can secure from his prince letters of respite or moratoria; but who shall give them to the prince, unless he does it to himself?

From The Invisible Lodge by Jean Paul

Monterey Park became the first city in the country in June to permanently ban data centers by a popular vote, and at least four other San Gabriel Valley cities have enacted moratoriums.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

New moratoriums rarely tend to address extant data center projects, as seen in Landover’s case, and are even fuzzier when it comes to future policy.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

Among them are the US and China, which have both established voluntary moratoriums against explosive nuclear testing.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that same day asking him to “investigate” any counties seeking to implement moratoriums and “explore any necessary legal actions.”

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

"All praise to the power of the war-time moratoriums," Farrel declared.

From The Pride of Palomar by Peter B. (Peter Bernard) Kyne

Related Words

• ban
• delay
• freeze
• halt
• pause
• postponement
• reprieve
• truce