cease-fire
Americannoun
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a cessation of hostilities; truce.
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Military. an order issued for a cease-fire.
Etymology
Origin of cease-fire
First recorded in 1840–50; noun use of verb phrase cease fire
Explanation
When two warring countries take a short break from killing each other's soldiers, it's a cease-fire. Often part of peace talks, a cease-fire is a temporary pause in a battle. Any time a commander orders troops to stop firing their weapons, that's a cease-fire. The noun, in fact, comes from a military command: "Cease fire!" Cease means "stop," from the Latin cessare, "go slow or leave off." Another name for a cease-fire is a truce; it can be an informal agreement to delay any violence for the time being, or part of an official treaty between nations and the end of a war.
Vocabulary lists containing cease-fire
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 19–January 25, 2025
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 24–March 1, 2024
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 17–August 23, 2024
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It remains unclear whether the cease-fire will turn into a lasting peace and a return to regular shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Yet crude prices have begun to come down in anticipation that the cease-fire will hold.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
At the same time, the temporary U.S.-Iran cease-fire, stalled negotiations, renewed escalation risk, and potential disruptions and blockades affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continue to shape the operating environment, Rystad analysts noted.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
Crude futures finished the session practically unchanged with participants awaiting more clarity about U.S.-Iran negotiations, a possible extension of the cease-fire, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Peeta begins to speak in a frustrated tone about the need for the cease-fire.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
