restraining order

American

noun

Law.

a judicial order to forbid a particular act until a decision is reached on an application for an injunction.

restraining order British

noun

law an order issued by a civil court to a potential abuser to keep away from those named in the order

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

restraining orders

plural

Etymology

Origin of restraining order

First recorded in 1875–80

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.

See Examples For:

restraining order

In her ruling granting a restraining order, U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The 14-day restraining order means Paramount won’t close the deal before the end of the month as it had hoped.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

US district judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued the temporary restraining order on Monday following legals arguments heard last week.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Federal District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín said she would decide by Wednesday whether to issue a restraining order.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

He’s probably writing a mental restraining order right now.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

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