jettison

1 of 2

verb

jet·​ti·​son ˈje-tə-sən 

-zən

jettisoned; jettisoning; jettisons

transitive verb

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

2

: to drop (cargo) to lighten a ship's load in time of distress

3

: to drop from an aircraft or spacecraft in flight

jettisonable

ˈje-tə-sə-nə-bəl 

-zə-

adjective

jettison

2 of 2

noun

: a voluntary sacrifice of cargo to lighten a ship's load in time of distress

Did you know?

The Origin of Jettison

Jettison comes from the Anglo-French noun geteson (literally “action of throwing”), and ultimately from 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 is the source of the word jetsam, the word for goods that are so jettisoned; that 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.”

Synonyms of jettison

Verb

• discard
• dump
• unload
• ditch
• lose

Noun

• removal
• disposal
• dumping

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

Verb

Of note is that Strome, who had no trade protection and whose contract was jettisoned without salary retention, made $5 million against the cap this year and next. —Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 7 Mar. 2026

There’s pressure there, too, though, given how Alpine jettisoned Renault’s works engine program to sign that deal. —The Athletic, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026

Noun

The mesmerizing evolution reaches its peak when a quivering guitar solo jettisons into view. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 26 Feb. 2026

However, the action jettisons tough decisions down the road. —Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

derivative of jettison entry 2

Noun

Middle English jetteson, from Anglo-French geteson, literally, action of throwing, from Latin jactation-, jactatio, from jactare — more at jet

First Known Use

Verb

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

jettison

verb

jet·​ti·​son

ˈjet-ə-sən, 

-ə-zən

1

: to throw goods overboard from a ship or aircraft especially to lighten it in distress

2

: discard entry 1 sense 2

jettison noun