injunction

noun

in·junc·tion in-ˈjəŋ(k)-shən

Synonyms of injunction next

: a writ granted by a court of equity whereby one is required to do or to refrain from doing a specified act

: the act or an instance of enjoining : order, admonition

injunctive

in-ˈjəŋ(k)-tiv

adjective

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Injunction, injunction, what’s your function? When it first joined the English language in the 1400s, injunction referred to an authoritative command, and in the following century it developed a legal second sense applying specifically to a court order. Both of these meanings are still in use. Injunction ultimately comes from the Latin verb injungere (“to enjoin,” i.e., to issue an authoritative command or order), which in turn is based on jungere, meaning “to join”: it is joined as a jungere descendant by several words including junction, conjunction, enjoin, and join.

Examples of injunction in a Sentence

The group has obtained an injunction to prevent the demolition of the building. in the cult there were injunctions for and against everything, as nothing was a matter of personal choice

Recent Examples on the Web Peterson also issued a permanent injunction preventing DNR employees from threatening Friends agreements in the future if there are disagreements. —

Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024 Their fate — along with that of the rest of the group of around 20 women and children, patients and their companions — is now in the hands of Israel’s Supreme Court, which issued a temporary injunction Thursday to prevent them being sent back to Gaza. —

Raf Sanchez, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024 Hirth’s lawsuit seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions that bar the university from refusing to provide gender-affirming care to existing patients based on their transgender status. —

Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 Those delays led to a class action lawsuit and, in 2016, a permanent injunction ordering the county to process the applications more quickly. —

Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 However, after the temporary court injunction, the Israeli government delayed that until at least Monday, hospital officials told CNN. Dr. Fadi Atrash, CEO of Augusta Victoria Hospital, which is treating Gazan cancer patients, and another hospital official confirmed the delay to CNN. —

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 The judge issued an injunction restricting the Biden administration's contacts with platforms on a variety of issues, though that order has been on hold. —

Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 Annunciation House refused, obtained a temporary restraining order, and applied for a temporary injunction. —

Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024 But officers in Texas had not yet made any arrests under the law when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an order later in the day, restoring, for the moment, an injunction blocking implementation of the law that had been issued by a lower court. —

J. David Goodman, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'injunction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English injunccion, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French enjunxion, from Late Latin injunction-, injunctio, from Latin injungere to enjoin — more at enjoin

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of injunction was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Injunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/injunction. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

injunction

noun

in·junc·tion in-ˈjəŋ(k)-shən

: a court order commanding or forbidding the doing of some act

an injunction against the strike

Legal Definition

injunction

noun

in·junc·tion in-ˈjəŋk-shən

: an equitable remedy in the form of a court order compelling a party to do or refrain from doing a specified act compare cease-and-desist order at order sense 3b, damage, declaratory judgment at judgment sense 1a, mandamus, specific performance at performance, stay

Note: An injunction is available as a remedy for harm for which there is no adequate remedy at law. Thus it is used to prevent a future harmful action rather than to compensate for an injury that has already occurred, or to provide relief from harm for which an award of money damages is not a satisfactory solution or for which a monetary value is impossible to calculate. A defendant who violates an injunction is subject to penalty for contempt.

— affirmative injunction

: an injunction requiring a positive act on the part of the defendant : mandatory injunction in this entry

— final injunction

: permanent injunction in this entry

— interlocutory injunction

: an injunction that orders the maintenance of the status quo between the parties prior to a final determination of the matter

specifically : preliminary injunction in this entry

— mandatory injunction

: an injunction that compels the defendant to do some positive act rather than simply to maintain the situation as it was when the action was brought compare prohibitory injunction in this entry

— permanent injunction

: an injunction imposed after a hearing and remaining in force at least until the defendant has complied with its provisions

called also final injunction, perpetual injunction

— preliminary injunction

: an interlocutory injunction issued before a trial for purposes of preventing the defendant from acting in a way that will irreparably harm the plaintiff's ability to enforce his or her rights at the trial

called also temporary injunction

compare temporary restraining order at order

Note: Before a preliminary injunction can be issued, there must be a hearing with prior notice to the defendant. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65, the hearing and the trial may be consolidated.

— prohibitory injunction

: an injunction that prohibits the defendant from taking a particular action and maintains the positions of the parties until there is a hearing to determine the matter in dispute

— temporary injunction

: preliminary injunction in this entry

Etymology

Middle French injonction, from Late Latin injunction-, injunctio, from Latin injungere to enjoin, from in- in + jungere to join

Last Updated: 5 Apr 2024 - Updated example sentences

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injunction

noun

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Synonyms

Examples of injunction in a Sentence

Word History

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Dictionary Entries Near injunction

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Legal Definition