dismissal

American  

[dis-mis-uhl] / dɪsˈmɪs əl /

Also dismission

noun

• dismissals
  plural

1. an act or instance of dismissing.

2. the state of being dismissed.

3. a spoken or written order of discharge from employment, service, enrollment, etc.

---

dismissal British  

/ dɪsˈmɪsəl /

noun

1. an official notice of discharge from employment or service

2. the act of dismissing or the condition of being dismissed

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondismissal
  noun
• predismissal
  noun
• redismissal
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dismissals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dismissal

First recorded in 1800–10; dismiss + -al ²

Explanation

The act of sending someone away or firing them is dismissal. Your friend's dismissal from the pizza place where he kept dropping the dough on the floor means he's looking for a new job — preferably not in food service. When a school bell rings at the end of the day, signaling that students can leave, that's one kind of dismissal. Bad news from a boss that the company is laying you off is also a dismissal, and when a judge rules that a trial is over and the case has been dropped, it's yet another kind of dismissal. The word comes from dismiss, "send away," from the Latin root dimittere, "send different ways" or "break up."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dismissal dismissals

His red card against Paris St-Germain in the 2024 Champions League quarter-finals became one of the defining moments of his Barcelona career, with his dismissal helping turn the tie in PSG's favour.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

But the dismissal last month of popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov -- one of the most ardent backers of drones -- raised some concerns over the future of the sector.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

“It was a conversation,” said hotel real-estate magnate Richard Born, who received the dismissal letter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Carvalho ultimately relinquished his right to severance by resigning — while avoiding the possibility of dismissal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

A majority opposed the oath but chose to sign nevertheless, especially after the regents decreed that those who refused would face dismissal.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

With a weighty portfolio of cases, Pirro has been working to stabilize her Washington office, which has been depleted by resignations and dismissals since Trump returned to the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Hours before Clayton's confirmation vote, Pulte boasted that a fifth round of dismissals would bring staffing reductions at the intelligence coordinating body to about 30 percent within weeks.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

The program’s star correspondent Scott Pelley was fired last month after he confronted management over the dismissals of executive producer Tanya Simon and his on-air colleagues Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

In total, he claimed 540 first-class dismissals, including more than 500 catches, and added another 308 dismissals in one-day games.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

Who knows how many quarrels, false accusations, unnecessary dismissals, how many promising careers cut short can be attributed to a butler's slovenliness at the stage of drawing up the staff plan?

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro