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

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.

In December 2024, Buckingham filed a request for a restraining order against Michelle Dick, who was 53 at the time of that filing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Nevada gambling regulators last week won a temporary restraining order to prevent Kalshi from offering event-based contracts related to sports, elections and entertainment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The request for a temporary restraining order was denied by a Los Angeles Superior Court judicial officer and a hearing is scheduled for April 14.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

On Thursday, TMZ reported that Mortensen has filed in Utah for a restraining order against Paul.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 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