What does cashiered mean?
Cashiered is the past tense of the verb 'to cashier,' meaning to dismiss someone — historically a military officer — from their post in disgrace, usually as punishment for serious misconduct. Unlike ordinary firing or resignation, being cashiered carries a heavy stain on one's reputation: it signals dishonor, not mere inefficiency. The term dates to the seventeenth century and derives from the Dutch 'kassier' and ultimately French 'caissier' (a money-box keeper), sharing a root with the word 'cash.' In modern usage, cashiered appears most often in historical and journalistic writing about disgraced officers, though it can be applied figuratively to anyone summarily removed from office. Its formal register and dramatic connotations make it a vivid alternative to plainer verbs like 'dismissed' when disgrace is central to the story.
verb (past tense and past participle of 'cashier')Dismissed from the armed forces or another position in disgrace, typically for misconduct or dishonorable conduct.
- (of an officer) dismissed from the armed forces in disgrace for misconduct
- (more generally) abruptly dismissed or removed from a position or office
"The officer was cashiered after the scandal over falsified reports came to light."
"The colonel was cashiered after evidence emerged that he had accepted bribes from contractors."
"The board cashiered its treasurer within days of discovering the missing funds."
To be cashiered isn't just to be fired — it's to be thrown out with your honor stripped away, a fate once reserved for disgraced military officers.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cashiered
The verb 'to cashier' entered English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, borrowed from Dutch 'kassieren,' which traces back to French 'caissier,' meaning keeper of a 'caisse' or money box. The underlying image was of an officer being struck from the pay rolls — literally removed from the list of those entitled to draw money. The same Romance root gives us the noun 'cashier' (one who handles cash) and, more distantly, related words such as 'cassette.'
Related word forms
How cashiered is actually used
Carries a strong connotation of disgrace; it implies dismissal for cause, often with loss of honor rather than mere redundancy. Most common in formal writing and historical accounts, especially concerning military officers.
Easily confused with cashiered
A cashier is also a person who handles payments in a shop or bank, a completely unrelated-sense homograph; 'cashiered' refers only to the dismissal sense.