Relating to or serving the purpose of citing, referencing, or summoning, especially in legal or formal contexts.
From 'citare' (Latin for to call or summon) plus the suffix '-atory' (relating to or serving to). The legal meaning emphasizes the formal summoning aspect.
When a judge issues a citatory order, they're using the same root word that means 'to call forth'—it's literally summoning you to appear or respond to something official.
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