What does cashiering mean?
Cashiering is the formal act of dismissing someone from a position — most classically, expelling a military officer from the armed forces in disgrace as punishment for serious misconduct such as cowardice, fraud, or disobedience. The term carries strong connotations of public shame: unlike a neutral redundancy or resignation, cashiering marks the person as unfit to serve and strips them of rank and honour. It derives from the verb 'to cashier', which entered English via Dutch 'kassier' and French 'caissier', meaning a custodian of a cash box — so a cashiered officer was literally cast out from handling the regimental funds. Today the word appears mostly in military history, court-martial reports, and formal journalism, sometimes extended figuratively to the dramatic ousting of executives, politicians, or officials. Writers choose it precisely for its stigma-laden, ceremonial weight.
The formal dismissal of a person, especially a commissioned officer, from service in disgrace for misconduct.
"His cashiering from the regiment was reported across the empire."
Chiefly military and formal; implies dishonour.
Present participle and gerund of the verb 'cashier': to dismiss someone from a position, especially in the armed forces, in disgrace.
"They were cashiering officers suspected of disloyalty throughout the spring."
Almost always used in the passive ('be cashiered') in contemporary English.
To be 'cashiered' originally meant to be thrown out of the army over your regiment's cash box — the ultimate military humiliation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cashiering
Cashiering comes from the verb 'cashier', borrowed in the late 16th century from Middle Dutch 'kasseren' and French 'cassé'/'caissier', ultimately from French 'caisse' (a money box or chest), from Italian 'cassa' and Latin 'capsa'. A cashier was originally one who had charge of a cash box, and 'to cashier' came to mean casting someone out of their post — especially stripping an officer of commission. Cognate forms include 'cash' itself and related Romance words such as 'cassette'.
Related word forms
How cashiering is actually used
Formal register, used chiefly in military, legal, and historical contexts. In modern British usage, 'cashiering' almost always carries connotations of public disgrace, unlike neutral terms such as 'dismissal' or 'redundancy'. The verb is typically passive ('was cashiered'); the gerund/noun form is comparatively rare outside formal writing.
Easily confused with cashiering
Quashing means officially rejecting or annulling a decision, whereas cashiering means formally dismissing a person in disgrace.