WordValemoratorium
a temporary official suspension of an activity
In more detail
1. (noun) an official temporary stopping or delay of a law or activity
2. (noun) a legal agreement allowing someone extra time to pay a debt
Examples
- 1. The government imposed a moratorium on new construction while they reviewed environmental concerns.
- 2. The bank granted a moratorium on mortgage payments for homeowners affected by the hurricane.
How to use moratorium
Moratorium is used in formal contexts to denote an official, usually temporary cessation of an activity or enforcement of a law, often by government or institutional decision. It carries more legal weight and formality than synonyms like pause or suspension, and implies an intentional halt rather than a natural stopping point. The term can also refer to an agreed postponement of debt repayment.
Common phrases
- declare a moratorium
- impose a moratorium
- lift a moratorium
- moratorium on
- temporary moratorium
Synonyms
suspension · halt · pause · freeze · postponement
Word family
moratorium (noun)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes use moratorium as a verb (e.g., 'to moratorium something') when it is only a noun; the correct verb form is 'to impose' or 'to declare a moratorium.'
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