prior restraint
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of prior restraint
First recorded in 1970–75
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.
But in 1971, the Supreme Court held that prior restraint on speech by the government is unconstitutional, requiring an “exceptional” showing of “grave and irreparable” danger.
From Salon ● Dec. 11, 2025
“With respect to this type of regulation that is a prior restraint on speech, what was the first example of that?” he asked.
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2025
“Completely shocked and horrified” when the documentary’s trailer dropped Feb. 2, Morrissey said she attempted to halt its release, but an appellate judge denied her restraining order request as impermissible prior restraint.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2024
“It is clear that this statute is a prior restraint on speech,” Wingate said.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 2023
Reprisal for speaking is as much an abridgment as a prior restraint.
From The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation Annotations of Cases Decided by the Supreme Court of the United States to June 30, 1952 by Corwin, Edward Samuel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
