Injunction
noun /ɪnˈdʒʌŋkʃ(ə)n/ — A court order requiring someone to act or stop acting.
Definition
A judicial order that restrains a person from beginning or continuing an action threatening or invading the legal rights of another, or that compels them to perform a specific act.
Beyond the definition
An injunction is the law acting before the fact — stopping something before the harm is done or irreversible. In contrast to remedies that compensate after harm, an injunction prevents. The power to simply stop something is extraordinary — which is why the procedure for obtaining one is deliberately difficult.
Origin & history
From Latin injunctio, from injungere (to join in, enjoin), from in- + jungere (to join). To join a command to an action — to connect a legal order to a required behaviour.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She obtained an injunction preventing the article from being published.
The court granted a temporary injunction while it considered the full case.
An injunction feels different from a fine — it says not that you must pay, but that you must stop.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Injunction” when the meaning fits your context: A judicial order that restrains a person from beginning or continuing an action threatening or invading the legal rights of another, or that compels them to perform a specific act.
Synonyms
court order, restraining order, prohibition
Antonyms
permission, licence
Related words
Injunction vs restraining order
Injunction is the general term for a court order requiring action or inaction. A restraining order is a specific, often temporary, type of injunction used to prevent immediate harm.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Adult Holding Formal Document
An adult stands in a silent, grand courtroom, holding a document that conveys the weight of legal process.
The document the adult holds is the formal manifestation of an injunction. It represents a judicial order that can compel an action or, more likely here, restrain someone from continuing an action that invades the legal rights of another party.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Injunction" mean?
Injunction is noun meaning: A court order requiring someone to act or stop acting.. A judicial order that restrains a person from beginning or continuing an action threatening or invading the legal rights of another, or that compels them to perform a specific act.
Where does the word "Injunction" come from?
From Latin injunctio, from injungere (to join in, enjoin), from in- + jungere (to join). To join a command to an action — to connect a legal order to a required behaviour.