waiting period
Americannoun
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a specified delay, required by law, between officially stating an intention and acting on it, as between securing a marriage license and getting married.
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Insurance. the required delay between the date of inception of a claim and the date on which the indemnity becomes payable, as in workmen's compensation insurance or unemployment insurance.
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.
He also was compensated for a mandatory "waiting period" following his departure from government.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
The Finland-born 26-year-old married Mitrofanov, a Wisconsin native, in 2024, but the waiting period for citizenship after marriage is at least three years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026
Because of its size, the Compass-Anywhere deal is subject to an antitrust review waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.
From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026
These include requiring a seven-day waiting period and a psychiatric exam.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025
This route comes with an incredibly long waiting period, but it’s the only course of action my family was able to take.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
