moratorium

noun

mor·​a·​to·​ri·​um ˌmȯr-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-əm How to pronounce moratorium (audio)
ˌmär-
plural moratoriums or moratoria ˌmȯr-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-ə How to pronounce moratorium (audio)
ˌmär-
Synonyms of moratorium
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
2
: a suspension of activity

Synonyms of moratorium

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
Senate Bill 867 The measure would place a four-year moratorium on the production and sale of toys that use chatbot platforms to anyone who is younger than 18. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Commissioners move forward with data center moratorium The motion approved by commissioners directs staff to research and prepare a moratorium on data centers. — Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 Bass also requested that the city council introduce an ordinance establishing a moratorium on the construction of new large cold storage facilities near residential areas and sensitive locations, such as parks and schools. — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 31 July 2026 The moratorium would put a stop to large-data-center-construction in the state of Maine until 2027. — Ethan Brooks, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 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

Rhymes for moratorium

See All Rhymes for moratorium

Browse Nearby Words

morat
moratorium
Moratuwa
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Moratorium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moratorium. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

moratorium

noun
mor·​a·​to·​ri·​um ˌmȯr-ə-ˈtōr-ē-əm How to pronounce moratorium (audio)
ˌmär-, 
-ˈtȯr-
plural moratoriums or moratoria -ē-ə How to pronounce moratorium (audio)
1
: a legally approved period of delay in the payment of a debt or the performance of a duty
2
: ban entry 2 sense 2, suspension
a moratorium on atomic testing

Legal Definition

moratorium

noun
mor·​a·​to·​ri·​um ˌmȯr-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-əm How to pronounce moratorium (audio)
plural moratoriums; plural moratoria
1
a
: an authorized period of delay in the performance of an obligation (as the paying of a debt)
b
: a waiting period set by an authority
2
: a suspension of activity
Etymology

New Latin, from Late Latin, neuter of moratorius dilatory, from morari to delay, from mora delay

More from Merriam-Webster on moratorium

Nglish: Translation of moratorium for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All