dismiss

1 of 2

verb

dis·​miss dis-ˈmis 

dismissed; dismissing; dismisses

transitive verb

1

: to permit or cause (someone) to leave

dismiss the visitors

Class is dismissed.

2

: to remove from position or service : discharge

He was dismissed [=fired] from his job.

Several employees were recently dismissed.

3

a

: to reject serious consideration of (something or someone)

dismissed the thought

dismissed her as an amateur

b

law : to put (an action) out of judicial consideration : to refuse to hear (an action) or to hear (an action) further in court

dismiss all charges

This case is dismissed.

4

: to put out (a batsman) in cricket

dismission

dis-ˈmi-shən 

noun

dismission

2 of 2

noun

dis·​mis·​sion də̇ˈsmishən 

plural -s

1

: the act of dismissing or of being dismissed

2

archaic : the document or the form of expression by which an act of dismissing is effected

Synonyms of dismiss

Verb

• remove
• sack
• retire
• fire
• release

Examples of dismiss in a Sentence

Verb

I don't think we should dismiss the matter lightly.

The students were dismissed early because of the snowstorm.

Several employees were recently dismissed.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In the filing, the Justice Department urged the appeals court to reverse the Tennessee federal judge’s ruling dismissing criminal charges against Abrego Garcia. — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Team-mate Mbaye has also been discussed this summer but senior Liverpool figures insist their interest has only been exploratory to date and strongly dismissed suggestions that personal terms have already been agreed with the 18-year-old. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Defense objections were rare, and the prosecution let witnesses be dismissed without redirect questioning after cross-examination. — CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

He was permanently dismissed from his post as archdeacon and barred from holding public office. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, modification of Latin dimissus, past participle of dimittere, from dis- + mittere to send

Noun

modification (influenced by dis-) of Latin dimission-, dimissio, from dimissus + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for dismiss

• abyss
• amiss
• chlamys
• premiss
• remiss
• bis
• bliss
• criss
• dis
• diss
• hiss
• kiss

Kids Definition

dismiss

verb

dis·​miss dis-ˈmis 

1

: to send away : cause or allow to go

dismissed the troops

2

: to discharge from office, service, or employment

3

: to put aside or out of mind

dismiss the thought

4

: to refuse further judicial hearing or consideration to

the judge dismissed the charge

dismissal

-ˈmis-əl

noun

dismissive

-ˈmis-iv 

adjective

dismissively adverb

Etymology

Verb

derived from Latin dimissus, past participle of dimittere "to send away," from di-, dis- "away, apart," and mittere "to send, throw" — related to emit

Legal Definition

dismiss

transitive verb

dis·​miss

1

: to remove from position or service

dismissed the employee

2

: to bring about or order the dismissal of (an action)

the suit was dismissed

intransitive verb

: to bring about or order a dismissal

the plaintiff moved to dismiss