injunction
n. countablen. an official order from a court that tells someone they must do something or must stop doing something. It is a legal way to prevent an action before it happens.
n. a judicial order that restrains a person from beginning or continuing an action threatening or invading the legal right of another, or that compels a person to carry out a certain act.
The judge issued an injunction to stop the construction.
The company sought a preliminary injunction to prevent their former employee from sharing trade secrets with a competitor.
Legal experts argued that the permanent injunction against the publication of the documents constituted a form of prior restraint, sparking a debate over national security and press freedom.
From Middle English iniunccyon, iniunccion, from Old French injonctïon, from Latin iniūnctiō (“command, injunction”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used with the verbs 'seek', 'grant', 'issue', or 'lift'. Frequently followed by the preposition 'against'.
Last updated May 6, 2026