waiting period

American  

noun

1. a specified delay, required by law, between officially stating an intention and acting on it, as between securing a marriage license and getting married.

2. 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.

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Example Sentences

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waiting period

This waiting period, known as “seasoning,” allows volatility surrounding a company’s IPO to fade and gives the market time to find a reasonable price.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

The trade-offs are more modest payments — typically between $5,000 and $25,000 with $50-plus monthly premiums — and a waiting period of about 2 to 3 years before the full benefit kicks in.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 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

But Catherine says introducing a mandatory waiting period would be pointless as the wait times for a driving test are already so long.

From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2026

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