What does discontinuance mean?
Discontinuance refers to the act of bringing something to an end — the stopping of a service, a practice, a payment, or some other ongoing activity. It is a formal noun, built on the verb 'discontinue', and it carries an official, bureaucratic tone that makes it a fixture of legal and business language. Its most distinctive modern use is in law: when a party to a lawsuit wishes to abandon the action, it may file a notice of discontinuance, thereby ending the proceedings without a judgment being entered. Outside the courtroom, the word appears in announcements about the discontinuance of products, routes, or benefits. Because 'discontinuation' has largely taken over general usage, choosing 'discontinuance' signals formality and often a legal register. The word derives ultimately from Latin roots meaning to hold together or carry on, negated by the prefix 'dis-', literally an un-continuing.
nounThe act of stopping or ceasing something, especially the formal termination of an activity, service, practice, or legal proceeding.
- The act or fact of stopping, ceasing, or terminating something, such as a service, practice, or publication.
- (Law) The termination of a legal action or proceeding by one of the parties, typically by formal notice rather than by court order.
"The discontinuance of the ferry service left the islanders with no regular link to the mainland."
"Shareholders were notified of the discontinuance of the quarterly dividend."
"After two years of litigation, the claimant filed a notice of discontinuance and withdrew from the case."
Rarely used in the plural; the word normally appears in the singular since it denotes an abstract act. Plural forms occur mainly in legal contexts referring to multiple separate terminations of proceedings.
"The docket recorded several discontinuances during the same session."
In a court of law, a plaintiff can end their own case simply by filing a 'notice of discontinuance' — one sheet of paper that formally abandons the entire suit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discontinuance
Discontinuance comes from the verb 'discontinue', which entered English via Anglo-Norman and Old French in the medieval period, ultimately combining the Latin prefix 'dis-' (apart, away) with 'continuare' (to make continuous), itself rooted in 'continuus', meaning unbroken or hanging together. The noun form, formed with the Latinate '-ance' suffix, developed in Middle English as both a legal term for interrupting or ending an action and a general term for cessation. Its legal sense — the voluntary termination of proceedings by a party — has been part of English procedural vocabulary for centuries and remains standard in courts today.
Related word forms
How discontinuance is actually used
'Discontinuance' is a formal word, most at home in legal documents, corporate announcements, and administrative writing. In everyday speech, 'discontinuation' or simpler terms like 'stopping' are usually preferred. Its strongest current association is with legal proceedings, where it has a specific technical meaning distinct from a dismissal ordered by a court.
Easily confused with discontinuance
Both mean the act of stopping something, but 'discontinuance' is the older, more formal term, now used chiefly in legal contexts, while 'discontinuation' is the more common everyday choice.