discontinue

verb

dis·​con·​tin·​ue ˌdis-kən-ˈtin-(ˌ)yü 

discontinued; discontinuing; discontinues

transitive verb

1

: to break the continuity of : cease to operate, administer, use, produce, or take

2

: to abandon or terminate by a legal discontinuance

intransitive verb

: to come to an end

discontinuation

ˌdis-kən-ˌtin-yə-ˈwā-shən 

-yü-ˈā-

noun

Synonyms

• break
• break off
• break up
• can [slang]
• cease
• cut off
• cut out
• desist (from)
• drop
• end
• give over
• halt
• knock off
• lay off
• leave off
• pack (up or in)
• quit
• shut off
• stop

Choose the Right Synonym for discontinue

stop, cease, quit, discontinue, desist mean to suspend or cause to suspend activity.

stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness.

stopped at the red light

cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.

by nightfall the fighting had ceased

quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing.

the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether

discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice.

we have discontinued the manufacture of that item

desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing.

desisted from further efforts to persuade them

Examples of discontinue in a Sentence

He discontinued his visits to the psychiatrist.

She chose to discontinue her studies.

The company has announced that the current model will be discontinued next year.

They are planning to discontinue bus service between the two towns.

Recent Examples on the Web

However the type of bulb used on top of this tower has been discontinued, which means the city needs to change the entire fixture. —Adrienne Davis, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024

The car was sold only in California and Oregon and discontinued in 2019. —Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2024

The study offered no follow-up on the many participants in that trial who had discontinued use. —Gary Taubes, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2024

The report found that companies are discontinuing maternity leave as a standard employee benefit, and the share of companies offering them dropped from 82.2% before the pandemic to about 73% in 2021. —Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024

Only a doctor with full knowledge of your health history should make decisions about changing or discontinuing medications. —Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024

There was a time when NPR would produce one fraudulent, absurd story per show on April Fools Day — a practice that was discontinued. —Mansee Khurana, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024

Side effects are one of the main reasons patients discontinue treatments. —TIME, 4 Apr. 2024

Her left and right disks were replaced in 1992 with a muscle flap and rib graft, respectively, and her entire right joint was replaced with yet another implant that was later discontinued in 1998. —Anna Werner, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French discontinuer, from Medieval Latin discontinuare, from Latin dis- + continuare to continue

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

discontinue

verb

dis·​con·​tin·​ue ˌdis-kən-ˈtin-yü 

1

: to cease to operate, use, produce, or take

will discontinue that product

2

: to bring or come to an end : stop

discontinued broadcast of my favorite show

discontinuance

-ˈtin-yə-wən(t)s

noun