"Mary Bell order" means: A court order forbidding publication of any information that could identify a child involved in legal proceedings.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.
Mary Bell order
(British, informal) A court order forbidding publication of any information that could identify a child involved in legal proceedings.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1968 · no dated citations yetDefinitions
(British, informal) A court order forbidding publication of any information that could identify a child involved in legal proceedings.
"Mary Bell order" means: A court order forbidding publication of any information that could identify a child involved in legal proceedings.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.
"Mary Bell order" means: A court order forbidding publication of any information that could identify a child involved in legal proceedings.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. Note the regional or dialect label (British) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Used in
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "Mary Bell order".
🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "Mary Bell order" (M)
Browse all slang words starting with M.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- gagging order63%
(British) An official order forbidding press or broadcast discussion of a specified subject; a public interest immunity certificate.
- go order61%
(UK) A police order that temporarily bans a perpetrator of domestic violence from the family home, preventing the victim from having to flee.
- control order58%
(UK, legal) An order made by the Home Secretary to restrict an individual's liberty for the purpose of protecting members of the public from a risk of terrorism.
- peace bond58%
(North America, legal) A court order forbidding one party to bother another.
- give someone a bell57%
(UK, slang) To telephone someone.