A curfew is a time-based restriction on the movement of people within a defined area during specified periods. Its parameters are: (1) a defined geographic boundary — city, neighborhood, facility, or zone — within which the restriction applies, (2) a specified time window during which movement is prohibited or requires special permission, (3) an authoritative issuer — governmental body, military command, institution, or property manager — that declares the curfew, and (4) an enforcement mechanism that penalizes violations. The curfew operates as a preemptive control: it prevents movement during hours deemed risky or undesirable by the authority, rather than responding to specific incidents. It persists through legal codification, institutional practice, and the threat of sanction, functioning as a spatial-temporal instrument of social regulation. [formal: couvre-feu | substrate: behavior | horizon: hours | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
curfew
A curfew is a time-based restriction on the movement of people within a defined area during specified periods. Its parameters are: (1) a defined geographic boundary — city, neighborhood, facility, or zone — within which the restriction app…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A human-made institutional regulation that restricts the freedom of movement of people within a defined area during specified time periods. Imposed by governmental authority, military command, or property management as a mechanism of social control, security, or public order.
Names and aliases
- curfewen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrees69z0039g8vuxwk8qtysINSTANCE_OF →
Law 9: a curfew IS a specific kind of rule — a regulation mandating that people be indoors by a certain time. A competent speaker would call a curfew a rule. Direction: curfew (specific)→rule (general).
- cmrhnc65902098aehuxnv9f0wSERVES →
A curfew is designed and maintained for the sake of security — it restricts public movement to reduce crime, manage crowds, and ensure public order during emergencies. Per Law 8d: servant(curfew)→master(security). Purpose is by design.
- cmreqt7sc00ztg8vu1gchgzi4SERVES →
Curfews are imposed and maintained for the sake of governance. Per Law 8d: servant(curfew)→master(governance). A curfew is a regulatory measure that serves the broader governance aim of controlling public movement for order, safety, or security purposes. Purpose by design.
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Record identity
- Created
- Jul 29, 2026, 12:51 PM UTC
- Content hash
- bb8983d122f03012ae92335e5a5691dd55c5f7cb7c1e7e6fc284604fca81efcb