What term describes a court order prohibiting a specific action by an individual or group?

The term that describes a court order prohibiting a specific action by an individual or group is "injunction." An injunction is a legal remedy that directs a party to do something or to refrain from doing something. It is typically issued to prevent harm or maintain the status quo in a legal dispute. For example, a court might issue an injunction to stop a corporation from conducting business operations that violate environmental regulations, effectively prohibiting them from continuing certain activities.

Injunctions can be temporary, lasting only until a case is decided, or permanent, remaining in effect indefinitely. This distinguishes them from terms like mandamus, which is an order compelling an action, or subpoena, which is a request for evidence or testimony. An appeal, on the other hand, is a process for seeking a review of a legal decision by a higher court, rather than a court order to cease specific actions. Thus, injunction is the term that most accurately captures the prohibition of actions as described in the question.