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gag order
noun
: a judicial ruling barring public disclosure or discussion (as by the press) of information related to a case
broadly
: a similar nonjudicial prohibition against the release of confidential information or against public discussion of a sensitive matter
Examples of gag order in a Sentence
The judge has issued a gag order.
Recent Examples on the Web
The 55-year-old’s defense team first asked for a gag order in late October, pointing to at least a dozen new civil lawsuits filed against Combs after his September arrest.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Prosecutors have objected to such a gag order, in part because plaintiffs in civil litigation against Combs are outside the purview of the criminal court.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024
The groups that tendered bids for the salvage operation have not been publicly named and are under strict non-disclosure gag orders set by prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano, who is in charge of the preliminary criminal investigation.
—Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, 1 Dec. 2024
Because of military secrecy and court gag orders, a full picture of the case has yet to emerge.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1906, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Gag order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gag%20order. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Legal Definition
gag order
see order sense 3b
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