What does curfew mean?
A curfew is an official rule requiring people to stay indoors or off the streets during particular hours, most often overnight. Governments and local authorities impose curfews during emergencies such as riots, disasters, or wars to maintain public order and safety, while parents may set informal curfews governing when children must return home. The word also denotes the signal — traditionally a bell — announcing that such a restriction has begun. Historically, the term carries vivid resonance: in medieval Europe, a bell rung in the evening instructed townspeople to cover or extinguish their fires as a precaution against catastrophic blazes. Today, curfew appears frequently in journalism about political unrest, in law relating to bail conditions and juvenile justice, and in casual conversation about family rules. It conveys authority and constraint, evoking both civic control and parental discipline, making it a versatile word spanning public policy and private life.
nounA regulation requiring people to remain indoors during designated hours, typically at night. It can also refer to the signal, such as a bell, historically sounded to mark that hour.
- An official order requiring people to stay off the streets or indoors during specified hours, usually at night.
- The time or signal (historically a bell) marking when such a restriction begins.
"A citywide curfew was imposed after three nights of unrest."
"Police enforced a strict curfew across the capital until dawn."
"Her parents gave her a midnight curfew during exam week."
The plural exists but is relatively uncommon; it appears mainly when contrasting curfews across different places, times, or populations.
"Several neighbouring cities imposed strict curfews over the weekend."
"Curfew" literally means "cover fire" — in medieval Europe, a bell rang at night telling everyone to douse their hearths so the whole town wouldn't burn down.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of curfew
Curfew derives from the Anglo-Norman and Old French phrase "cuevrefeu," from "covrir" (to cover) plus "feu" (fire), meaning literally "cover-fire." In medieval Europe, a bell rung in the evening signalled the time to cover or extinguish hearth fires to prevent unattended blazes, and the word came to denote both that signal and the associated night-time restriction. It entered Middle English around the late 13th century and gradually broadened from its original fire-prevention sense to mean any official order confining people indoors at night.
How curfew is actually used
Mostly neutral to slightly formal register; common in news reporting on civil emergencies and in everyday talk about household rules. Plural is rare — usually treated as a singular collective measure. In British legal contexts it often refers specifically to restrictions placed on offenders as part of sentencing or bail conditions.
Easily confused with curfew
"Carfew" is not an established English word; "curfew" is the only correct term for a restriction on movement during set hours.