moratorium

/ˌmɒrəˈtɔːriəm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌmɔːrəˈtɔːriəm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌmȯr-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-əm ˌmär-/ (ame, mw)

moratorium — noun

  • moratoriumsingular
  • moratoriumsplural

1. an agreed period when a government, court, or other authority says a particular

1.名詞C1
釋義

an agreed period when a government, court, or other authority says a particular activity must pause for a while.

例句

The city council voted for a six-month moratorium on new casino licenses.

moratorium on + restricted activity

After the spill, the government announced a moratorium on deep-sea drilling.

同義詞
  • pause

    more general and much less formal; it does not strongly suggest an official decision

  • suspension

    close in meaning, but often focuses on the act of stopping rather than an agreed waiting period

  • ban

    stronger and often indefinite; a ban does not suggest that the activity will restart soon

反義詞
  • resumption

    the point when the stopped activity begins again

用法筆記

Common in news and policy writing. It is usually followed by "on" plus the activity being stopped, and it implies the stop is temporary rather than permanent.

常見錯誤

❌The school announced a moratorium on phones forever.
✅The school announced a ban on phones.
💡a moratorium is temporary, while a ban may be permanent.

2. a period allowed by law when someone may wait before paying money owed or carryi

2.名詞C1
釋義

a period allowed by law when someone may wait before paying money owed or carrying out a required duty.

例句

Mauricio received a three-month moratorium on his student loan payments after losing his job.

moratorium on payments in a financial context

The city allowed tenants a moratorium on rent payments after the market fire.

同義詞
  • grace period

    common in everyday finance for extra time before payment is required

  • deferment

    formal and often used for postponing payments, studies, or duties

  • extension

    broader; it can apply to many deadlines, not only debts or legal duties

反義詞
  • repayment

    the act of paying what is owed rather than delaying it

用法筆記

This sense belongs to legal and financial contexts. The debt or duty still exists; the moratorium only moves the payment or performance to a later time.

常見錯誤

❌The company got a moratorium, so the debt disappeared.
✅The company got a moratorium, so it could pay later.
💡a moratorium delays payment or performance; it does not cancel the obligation.