desist

American

[dih-sist, -zist] / dɪˈsɪst, -ˈzɪst /

verb (used without object)

to cease, as from some action or proceeding; stop.

desist British

/ dɪˈzɪst /

verb

to cease, as from an action; stop or abstain

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

desist Idioms

see cease and desist.

Other Word Forms

desistance noun
desistence noun
nondesisting adjective
undesisting adjective

Etymology

Origin of desist

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Old French desister, from Latin dēsistere “to leave off,” equivalent to dē- de- + sistere “to stand, place,” akin to stāre “to stand” ( stand )

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.

The bar claims the firm refused to remove the attorney’s name from its website for years, ignoring a cease and desist letter from McBratney’s new employer.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

In October, it sent a cease and desist letter to Perplexity.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

Mark Joseph Stern: I think he is begging us to please cease and desist calling them “Kavanaugh stops.”

From Slate • Dec. 30, 2025

Ms Cox's lawyer sent the company a legal "cease and desist" letter, asking that it stop using the phrase, but she said the response described her as "bitter".

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025

One day he lit into Vanguard’s index funds and almost instantly received a cease and desist order from Vanguard’s attorneys.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023