jet·ti·son
ˈje-tə-sən 
-zən
jettisoned; jettisoning; jettisons
1
: to get rid of as superfluous or encumbering : omit or forgo as part of a plan or as the result of some other decision
must be prepared to jettison many romantic notions—
Christopher Catling
Christopher Catling2
: to drop (cargo) to lighten a ship's load in time of distress
3
: to drop from an aircraft or spacecraft in flight
: a voluntary sacrifice of cargo to lighten a ship's load in time of distress
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The Origin of Jettison
Jettison comes from Anglo-French geteson, which means literally "action of throwing" and is related to the Latin verb jactare, meaning "to throw." The noun jettison refers to a voluntary sacrifice of cargo to lighten a ship's load in time of distress, and it is the source of the word jetsam (the name for goods "jettisoned"); the word is often paired with flotsam ("floating wreckage"). These days you don't have to be on a sinking ship to "jettison" something: the verb also means simply "to get rid of."
Examples of jettison in a Sentence
Verb
The captain gave orders to jettison the cargo.
They jettisoned the fuel and made an emergency landing.
We should jettison these old computers and get new ones.
They jettisoned plans for a vacation.
Noun
with his ship rapidly sinking, the captain ordered a last-ditch jettison of much of its cargo
Recent Examples on the Web
Mike Wall, Space.com, 5 Apr. 2025
The bickering dynamic between Black and Momoa becomes the story’s driving force, with the rest of the cast left to roll their eyes at the wannabe alphas and/or jettisoned to their own subplots just to keep them out of the way (Myers and Brooks get the worst of both worlds).
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2025
Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
On these types of secretive national security missions, the government typically requests that the launch provider stop providing updates on the ascent into space when the rocket jettisons its two-piece payload fairing a few minutes after launch.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for jettison
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Verb
Moving splashdowns to the West Coast — along with jettisoning the trunk after Dragon's deorbit burn, to control the trunk's trajectory — will ensure that no debris could harm people or property, according to SpaceX; any that survives reentry will fall into the Pacific.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 5 Apr. 2025
The bickering dynamic between Black and Momoa becomes the story’s driving force, with the rest of the cast left to roll their eyes at the wannabe alphas and/or jettisoned to their own subplots just to keep them out of the way (Myers and Brooks get the worst of both worlds).
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
Full Story Biden administration jettisons effort to protect old-growth forests
The Biden administration is dropping its efforts to issue a policy to protect old-growth forests — though the president previously touted protecting such forests as an important component of his climate agenda.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 8 Jan. 2025
On these types of secretive national security missions, the government typically requests that the launch provider stop providing updates on the ascent into space when the rocket jettisons its two-piece payload fairing a few minutes after launch.
—Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for jettison
Cite this Entry
“Jettison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jettison. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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