restraining order

noun

1

: a preliminary legal order sometimes issued to keep a situation unchanged pending decision upon an application for an injunction

2

: a legal order issued against an individual to restrict or prohibit access or proximity to another specified individual

Examples of restraining order in a Sentence

The judge issued a restraining order.

Recent Examples on the Web

So on April 22 — two days before her emergency protective order was set to expire — Nora filed a request for a domestic violence restraining order. — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Murray filed a civil harassment restraining order in Yolo Superior Court earlier this summer, according to the Enterprise. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026

But court dockets say there’s still an open domestic violence restraining order against him, first taken out by his wife on June 12, 2025. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for restraining order

• boarder
• border
• corder
• warder
• camcorder
• disorder
• recorder
• reorder
• suborder
• transborder

Legal Definition

restraining order

see also:

order sense 3b