dismissal

American  

[dis-mis-uhl] / dɪsˈmɪs əl /

Also dismission

noun

• dismissals
  plural

1. an act or instance of dismissing.

2. the state of being dismissed.

3. a spoken or written order of discharge from employment, service, enrollment, etc.

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dismissal British  

/ dɪsˈmɪsəl /

noun

1. an official notice of discharge from employment or service

2. the act of dismissing or the condition of being dismissed

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondismissal
  noun
• predismissal
  noun
• redismissal
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dismissals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dismissal

First recorded in 1800–10; dismiss + -al ²

Explanation

The act of sending someone away or firing them is dismissal. Your friend's dismissal from the pizza place where he kept dropping the dough on the floor means he's looking for a new job — preferably not in food service. When a school bell rings at the end of the day, signaling that students can leave, that's one kind of dismissal. Bad news from a boss that the company is laying you off is also a dismissal, and when a judge rules that a trial is over and the case has been dropped, it's yet another kind of dismissal. The word comes from dismiss, "send away," from the Latin root dimittere, "send different ways" or "break up."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dismissal dismissals

Thursday’s dismissal of the Trump Administration’s antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard suggests that such consequences will be rare.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Brook had shown glimpses of his brilliance in his 31-ball knock and was keeping Sunrisers' hopes alive, but his dismissal left them needing 89 off 44 balls and the innings fell away.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

But the dismissal last month of popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov -- one of the most ardent backers of drones -- raised some concerns over the future of the sector.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Carvalho ultimately relinquished his right to severance by resigning — while avoiding the possibility of dismissal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

I kept staring at the clock over the door, watching the little hand get closer and closer to the three, until the bell rang for dismissal.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

The mayor said the dismissals reflected his “commitment to a new era.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Hours before Clayton's confirmation vote, Pulte boasted that a fifth round of dismissals would bring staffing reductions at the intelligence coordinating body to about 30 percent within weeks.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

The program’s star correspondent Scott Pelley was fired last month after he confronted management over the dismissals of executive producer Tanya Simon and his on-air colleagues Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Since becoming head of the Pentagon last year, Hegseth has overseen a dozen dismissals, retirements and reassignments among some of the highest positions in the U.S. military.

From Salon ● May 1, 2026

The doctors were having their weekly board meeting—old business, new business, admissions, dismissals and interviews.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath