shield law

noun

: a law that protects journalists from forced disclosure of confidential news sources

Examples of shield law in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although a Texas judge sided with Paxton in that case, New York state officials have pointed to their own shield law and refused to enforce the ruling. —Emily Brindley, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026

Six other states — Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington — have shield laws that protect providers regardless of patient location, in addition to California and New York. —Sophie Brams, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2026

There is no there’s no federal shield law. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025

The early trials will test the limits of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a federal liability shield law that has protected some social media platforms from facing past user-harm lawsuits. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shield law

• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw
• byelaw
• bylaw
• chainsaw
• cheraw
• coleslaw
• crenshaw
• dada
• esau

Legal Definition

shield law

noun

: a law that prevents or protects against disclosure or revelation of information: as

a

: rape shield law

b

: a law that protects journalists from disclosure of confidential news sources