From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmoratoriummor‧a‧to‧ri‧um /ˌmɒrəˈtɔːriəm $ ˌmɔː-/ noun (plural moratoriums or moratoria) [countable usually singular] 1 PGSTOP something THAT IS HAPPENINGan official stopping of an activity for a period of timemoratorium on a moratorium on nuclear testing2 SCLBFLa law or an agreement that gives people more time to pay their debts a two-year moratorium on interest payments
Examples from the Corpus
moratorium• The suggestion for a moratorium on nuclear testing, with its overtones of propaganda, was old and unexciting.• In 1992, Mr Mitterrand imposed a moratorium on the explosions and urged other nuclear powers to follow suit.• But his environment colleague, Finnin Aerts, wants a moratorium on further nuclear plants.• Each side accused the other of renewing the fighting and of breaking the air moratorium.• He was furious with Khrushchev for breaking the moratorium, but he refused to be stampeded into a new series of tests.• Two years later the moratorium was confirmed, although it has never become a formal agreement.• The moratorium on national curriculum change gives a small opportunity for professional development courses to grow.• The nations augmented the prohibitions in 1993 with a voluntary moratorium on disposing of low-level radioactive waste.• a one-year moratorium on interest paymentsmoratorium on• The amendment would put a moratorium on offshore drilling for oil.From Longman Business Dictionarymoratoriummor‧a‧to‧ri‧um /ˌmɒrəˈtɔːriəmˌmɔː-/ noun (plural moratoria /-riə/ or moratoriums) [countable usually singular]1a period of time when a particular activity is officially stoppedthe lifting (=ending) of a trade moratoriummoratorium onthe US moratorium on the production and export of landmines2 (also debt moratorium)FINANCE a law or an agreement that gives countries, organizations etc more time to pay their debtsBanks have helped out several big property concerns on the verge of insolvency by offering debt moratoriums or other refinancing options.moratorium onWhen a business finds itself seriously short of cash, it can ask its creditors for a moratorium on debt payments.Origin moratorium (1800-1900) Modern Latin Late Latin moratorius “delaying”, from Latin morari “to delay” 