Definition of MORATORIA (original) (raw)
1
a
: a legally authorized period of delay in the performance of a legal obligation or the payment of a debt
b
: a waiting period set by an authority
Synonyms
Examples of moratorium in a Sentence
In 2000, Illinois declared a moratorium on executions after 13 death-row inmates were exonerated. —
Evan Thomas et al., Newsweek, 19 Nov. 2007 But one country's moratorium is another country's protectionism, and the U.S. is suspicious of Europe's actions. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 13 Sept. 1999 The striped bass are recovering strongly after a moratorium on catching them. —John P. Wiley, Jr., Smithsonian, November 1993 Her office was crammed with ungraded school papers, some of them dating back five years. She was far behind in her work—so far behind that she had declared a moratorium on school work until she could catch up on her grading. —Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., The Sirens of Titan, 1959
The treaty calls for a nuclear testing moratorium. the director of the blood bank called for a moratorium in donations until the surplus could be used up
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.
State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has ordered a one-year moratorium on home insurance policy cancellations in ZIP codes near or within the areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires. —Lia Russell, Sacramento Bee, 11 Jan. 2025 On Friday, Ricardo Lara, California’s insurance commissioner, vowed that the state would impose a one-year moratorium to prevent homeowners insurance cancellations and non-renewals in the fire-scarred areas. —Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 11 Jan. 2025 Budget pressures from the Mars Sample Return mission, coupled with funding cuts stemming from a bipartisan federal budget deal in 2023, have prompted NASA's planetary science division to institute a moratorium on starting new missions. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 8 Jan. 2025 In 2008, President George W. Bush issued a memorandum that rescinded portions of the offshore drilling moratorium established by his father, President George H. W. Bush, in 1990 and renewed by President Bill Clinton in 1998. —James Broughel, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for moratorium 
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Late Latin, neuter of moratorius dilatory, from Latin morari to delay, from mora delay
First Known Use
1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of moratorium was in 1875
Dictionary Entries Near moratorium
Cite this Entry
“Moratorium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moratorium. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Share
More from Merriam-Webster on moratorium
Last Updated: 15 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!