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Mary Bell order

(British, informal) A court order forbidding publication of any information that could identify a child involved in legal proceedings.

ˈmɛɹi ˈbɛl ˈɔɹdɚDocumented since 1960s1960sGen Xhistorical125 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
1 definition
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Born ~1968 · no dated citations yet
1968BornToday, 2026
Boomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →

Definitions

UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

(British, informal) A court order forbidding publication of any information that could identify a child involved in legal proceedings.

Origin: Named after Mary Bell, a child tried for manslaughter in 1968. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"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.

For ESL learners

"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

Cluster: child
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For specific readers

"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.

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.

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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.

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