Noun: moratorium (moratoriums,moratoria) ,mor-u'tor-ee-um [N. Amer], ,mó-ru'to-ree-um [Brit]
- Suspension of an ongoing activity
"The government declared a moratorium on new oil drilling permits"
- A legally authorized postponement before some obligation must be discharged
"The government declared a moratorium on student loan payments"
Derived forms: moratoria, moratoriums
Type of: abeyance, delay, hold, postponement, suspension, time lag, wait
Encyclopedia: Moratorium