discontinue
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to come or bring to an end; interrupt or be interrupted; stop
-
(tr) law to terminate or abandon (an action, suit, etc)
Related Words
See interrupt.
Other Word Forms
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.
Samsung said the decision to discontinue sales of certain consumer electronics products in China came amid intensifying competition in the local market and a rapidly changing business environment.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 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
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
She was going to discontinue carrying the unlucky peacock-blue nail polish.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
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.
