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

Paramount’s decision came after a federal court had granted a temporary restraining order stopping the deal from closing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

A California federal judge granted a 14-day restraining order on Monday that prohibits the companies from closing the deal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, based in Oakland, on Monday granted a temporary restraining order request by a coalition of 12 state attorneys general, led by California Atty.

From Los Angeles Times ● 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

“But he will need some explanation for why I’m around here so much. I don’t want Chief Swan getting a restraining order put on me.”

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

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