Injunction

What injunction means

Put simply, injunction is part of the working vocabulary of a civil case. The short definition above covers the usual meaning. Still, a specific rule, statute or contract can give it a narrower meaning. For that reason, check how it is used in your own documents.

Where injunction comes up

For example, the term appears in these procedures:

• Motion for a Preliminary Injunction (Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(a)): a request for an order that preserves the situation while the case is decided.

How to research the term

Start with the primary source. For example, if injunction appears in a federal rule, read the rule itself and its official notes. After that, check your court’s local rules and any standing orders from the judge. In addition, search recent decisions from your own state or federal district. They show how courts read injunction in practice. Because state rules often differ, our state procedures guide links to each state’s official rules. Above all, make sure the version you read is still in force.

You can read the official rule text online for free.

Related legal terms

• Preliminary injunction: an order issued during a case, after notice, to preserve the situation until the case is decided.
• Equitable relief: non-monetary remedies a court may order, such as an injunction or specific performance.
• Equity: the body of law, historically administered by courts of chancery, that provides remedies such as injunctions and specific performance.

Why precise terms matter

Courts read legal terms closely. As a result, knowing the exact meaning of a word helps you follow orders, rules and filings. Each glossary entry on Lawtopolis is short on purpose and links to the pages where the term is used.