restraining order

noun

An order issued by a court of law or other legal authority for a specified timeframe forbidding the restrained party from contacting and being in close proximity to the protected party and other restrictions, usually banning the possession of arms.

Meanings

nounrestraining order (plural restraining orders)

plural restraining orders

  1. lawAn order issued by a court of law or other legal authority for a specified timeframe forbidding the restrained party from contacting and being in close proximity to the protected party and other restrictions, usually banning the possession of arms.

    2007, Steven Wilson, "Normal", Porcupine Tree, Nil Recurring. Prescription drugs, they help me through the day / And that restraining order keeps me well at bay / And what's normal now, anyway?

  2. lawAn order by a judge or other legal authority that prevents an action by a government or institution.
    2 more examples

    On February 13, 1974, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued a temporary restraining order against the council to prevent it from enforcing a January 28, 1974, temporary rollback order for Nassau County police salaries. On February 16, 1974, the court issued another temporary restraining order preventing the Council from conducting further proceedings, including a hearing.

    1974, Economic Stabilization Program Quarterly Report Covering the Period January 1, 1974 Through May 1, 1974, U.S. Cost of Living Council, page 87

    Kunsman reports that he was placed in a segregation cell when he subsequently filed an Administrative Remedy Form with warden R. A. Gunnell and that he has been scheduled for a disciplinary transfer. Requests have been made to the U.S. District Court for a restraining order to have Kunsman released from segregation and to prevent the transfer.

    1981 August 22, “Unwelcome Advances”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 6, page 2

Synonyms & antonyms

Translations

Bulgarian ограничителна заповед
  • ограничителна заповед (ograničitelna zapoved)order forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Chinese Mandarin 限制令, 禁止令
  • 限制令 (xiànzhìlìng)order forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
  • 禁止令 (jìnzhǐlìng)order forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Czech soudní zákaz
  • soudní zákazorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Dutch contactverbod, gebiedsverbod
  • contactverbodorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
  • gebiedsverbodorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Estonian lähenemiskeeld
  • lähenemiskeeldorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Finnish lähestymiskielto
  • lähestymiskieltoorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
French ordonnance restrictive, interdiction de contact
  • ordonnance restrictiveorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
  • interdiction de contactorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
German Kontaktverbot, Distanzgebot
  • Kontaktverbotorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
  • Distanzgebotorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
  • Gewaltschutzverfügungorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Hungarian távoltartás, távoltartási végzés
  • távoltartásorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
  • távoltartási végzésorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Icelandic nálgunarbann
  • nálgunarbannorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Japanese 接近禁止命令
  • 接近禁止命令 (sekkin kinshi meirei)order forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Russian суде́бный запре́т, запрети́тельный суде́бный прика́з
  • суде́бный запре́т (sudébnyj zaprét)order forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
  • запрети́тельный суде́бный прика́з (zapretítelʹnyj sudébnyj prikáz)order forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Spanish orden de alejamiento
  • orden de alejamientoorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Swedish besöksförbud, kontaktförbud
  • besöksförbudorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
  • kontaktförbudorder forbidding contacting and close proximity to the protected party
Cite this entry
APA

restraining order. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restraining%20order

MLA

“restraining order.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restraining%20order. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “restraining order,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/restraining%20order.

Source: restraining order on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.