discontinue

verb

dis·​con·​tin·​ue ˌdis-kən-ˈtin-(ˌ)yü How to pronounce discontinue (audio)
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 noun
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 At the same time, Tesla seems to have quietly discontinued its most affordable model this week, Teslarati reports. Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 2 Oct. 2024 If certain medications are causing your pale poop, your healthcare provider may recommend discontinuing them or prescribing alternative medications to you to help alleviate your symptoms. Joy Emeh, Health, 2 Oct. 2024 Some private colleges, including Pomona and Occidental, have discontinued the tradition in recent years. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024 All hurricane and tropical storm warnings have been discontinued along the Florida east coast south of the Flagler and Volusia county line, and along the Florida west coast south of the mouth of the Suwannee River, according to the National Hurricane Center. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for discontinue 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'discontinue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of discontinue was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near discontinue

Cite this Entry

“Discontinue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discontinue. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

discontinue

verb
dis·​con·​tin·​ue ˌdis-kən-ˈtin-yü How to pronounce discontinue (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on discontinue

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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