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
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(tr) law to terminate or abandon (an action, suit, etc)
Synonym Usage
See interrupt.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have discontinuedperfect
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has discontinuedperfect 3rd person singular
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are discontinuingprogressive
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is discontinuingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been discontinuingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am discontinuingprogressive 1st person singular
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discontinuessingular 3rd person
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discontinuingparticiple
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have been discontinuingperfect progressive
Past
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had discontinuedperfect
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were discontinuingprogressive plural
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was discontinuingprogressive singular
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had been discontinuingperfect progressive
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discontinuedsimple
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discontinuedparticiple
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.
Many discontinue treatment due to cost, insurance limits or side effects.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
Melfi added that cost and insurance coverage remain major obstacles, and that people usually discontinue it because they can’t afford it.
From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026
OpenAI said last week it would discontinue the Sora app, which allowed, with simple text prompts, the creation of Hollywood-quality short video, limited only by user imagination.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
KP Snacks is proposing to close its manufacturing site for Tyrrells in Staffordshire, due to plans to discontinue its vegetable crisps.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 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.
