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.
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
The antitrust review waiting period for the Compass and Anywhere merger expired, signaling progress toward combining the two largest U.S. brokerages.
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
The French club said access to the concourse remained open so supporters could "use the toilets or go to the refreshment stands" during this waiting period.
From BBC • Nov. 27, 2025
But it was obvious that the waiting period would have to be extended in those cases where an animal’s intelligence had been increased two or three times.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
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.
