gag rule
gag rule — noun
1. a rule used in a formal meeting, committee, or parliament that stops members fro
a rule used in a formal meeting, committee, or parliament that stops members from continuing to discuss a particular issue, often so that a vote can move forward
The council chair imposed a gag rule to stop the debate on park funding.
imposed a gag rule — typical verb collocation
Roya argued that the committee's gag rule silenced everyone who opposed the budget.
committee's gag rule — common possessor noun
Under the board's gag rule, no further discussion of the policy was allowed.
Parliament voted to adopt a gag rule and moved to the next agenda item.
- open debate
unrestricted discussion where all members may speak freely
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in the context of formal deliberative bodies (city councils, committees, parliaments). Frequently collocates with verbs like 'impose', 'invoke', 'adopt', and 'lift'.
常見錯誤
2. a general order or rule that prevents people from freely expressing their opinio
a general order or rule that prevents people from freely expressing their opinions or sharing information about a particular subject, especially in an organization or workplace
Kabir worried that the hospital's gag rule would keep nurses from reporting safety problems.
gag rule would keep [someone] from [doing something]
The company's gag rule prohibited employees from discussing salaries with one another.
A strict gag rule stopped staff from talking about the investigation results outside the office.
Many teachers were uncomfortable with the school district's gag rule on classroom materials.
- censorship
broader term that includes blocking publications and media; a gag rule specifically targets people's speech
- non-disclosure agreement
a binding legal contract rather than a policy or rule
- freedom of speech
the right to express opinions without restriction
用法筆記
Commonly refers to non-governmental settings (companies, schools, hospitals) where an authority figure or policy prevents discussion of a sensitive topic. Unlike sense 1, this sense does not require a formal voting procedure.
常見錯誤
3. a law, official order, or government ruling that prohibits any public debate, di
a law, official order, or government ruling that prohibits any public debate, discussion, or sharing of particular information or opinions
The court issued a gag rule preventing lawyers from discussing the case with the media.
court issued a gag rule — legal context collocation
Imani argued that the gag rule violated the constitutional right to free expression.
Human rights groups condemned the new gag rule as a serious attack on press freedom.
Under the federal gag rule, clinics could not give patients certain health information.
The gag rule blocked journalists from reporting on the details of the closed hearing.
- gag order
nearly identical; 'gag order' is more common in US court contexts, while 'gag rule' is more common for legislative policies
- prior restraint
a technical legal term for government action that prevents speech or publication before it happens
- free press
the principle that news organisations can report without government interference
用法筆記
This sense is distinct from senses 1 and 2 in that it refers to legally enforceable measures — statutes, court orders, or executive rulings — rather than internal organisational policies. Frequently appears in discussions of US federal policy (e.g. the Mexico City Policy, often called the 'global gag rule').