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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See all Example Sentences for gag order 

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gag order was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near gag order

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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