discontinue

American  

[dis-kuhn-tin-yoo] / ˌdɪs kənˈtɪn yu /

verb (used with object)

discontinued, discontinuing

1. to put an end to; stop; terminate.

   to discontinue nuclear testing.

   Antonyms:

   resume

2. to cease to take, use, subscribe to, etc..

   to discontinue a newspaper.

3. Law. to terminate or abandon (a suit, claim, or the like).

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verb (used without object)

discontinued, discontinuing

1. to come to an end or stop; cease; desist.

discontinue British  

/ ˌdɪskənˈtɪnjuː /

verb

1. to come or bring to an end; interrupt or be interrupted; stop

2. (tr) law to terminate or abandon (an action, suit, etc)

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Related Words

See interrupt.

Other Word Forms

• discontinuance noun
• discontinuation noun
• discontinuer noun
• undiscontinued adjective

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."

Example Sentences

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

"In our future work, we will examine the comparative effectiveness of alternative treatment options for obesity in patients who discontinue semaglutide or tirzepatide, to help patients and their clinicians make informed decisions."

From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026

"And even after they are admitted, hospitals make the patient wait for long hours to receive treatment and often, discontinue it mid-way by making excuses," she adds.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

Meanwhile, the company announced plans to discontinue its frozen drink products.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 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

Related Words

• abandon
• break off
• cease
• give up
• halt
• interrupt
• quit
• suspend
• terminate