discontinue
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to come or bring to an end; interrupt or be interrupted; stop
-
(tr) law to terminate or abandon (an action, suit, etc)
Synonym Usage
See interrupt.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
discontinuesimple
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discontinuessimple
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have discontinuedperfect
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has discontinuedperfect
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am discontinuingprogressive
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are discontinuingprogressive
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is discontinuingprogressive
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have been discontinuingperfect progressive
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has been discontinuingperfect progressive
Past
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discontinuedsimple
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had discontinuedperfect
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was discontinuingprogressive
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were discontinuingprogressive
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had been discontinuingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of discontinue
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Anglo-French discontinuer, from Medieval Latin discontinuāre. See dis- 1, continue
Explanation
To discontinue something is to stop it. If you've grown bored with the magazine you get in the mail every month, you can discontinue your subscription. You discontinue things that you want to quit doing or otherwise want to bring to an end. A company also might discontinue a product, or stop making it — you'll be sad if a candy maker discontinues your favorite jelly beans. The word discontinue combines dis-, or "not," with continue, which comes from the Latin continuare, "join together, connect, or make continuous."
Vocabulary lists containing discontinue
The Search Is Over: Synonyms for "Stop"
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for January 7–January 13, 2023
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"Be Prepared" by Vera Brosgol
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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.
And people with diabetes who exercised in the afternoon doubled their odds of being able to discontinue glucose-lowering medications altogether.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 21, 2026
However, the Crown Prosecution Service decided to discontinue the proceedings.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
Many discontinue treatment due to cost, insurance limits or side effects.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
The decision to discontinue the reservation system at Yosemite — as well as at Arches and Glacier national parks — is another part of Interior’s mission to bring more people into the parks.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
In fact, I had been wondering for some time if we should not discontinue these meetings, given how they prolong our already very busy days.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
