dismiss

Middle English, from Latin dimissus (“sent away, dismissed, banished”), perfect passive participle of dīmittō (“send away, dismiss”), from dis- +‎ mittere (“to send”).

• IPA^(key): /dɪsˈmɪs/
• (UK also) IPA^(key): /dɪzˈmɪs/
• Hyphenation: dis‧miss

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪs

dismiss (third-person singular simple present dismisses, present participle dismissing, simple past and past participle dismissed)

1. (transitive) To discharge; to end the employment or service of.

   The company dismissed me after less than a year.

2. (transitive) To order to leave.

   The soldiers were dismissed after the parade.

3. (transitive) To dispel; to rid one's mind of.

   He dismissed all thoughts of acting again.

4. (transitive) To reject; to refuse to accept.

   The court dismissed the case.

   • 1907, Robert William Chambers, chapter IV, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326:

     "He was here," observed Drina composedly, "and father was angry with him." ¶ "What?" exclaimed Eileen. "When?" ¶ "This morning, before father went downtown." ¶ Both Selwyn and Lansing cut in coolly, dismissing the matter with a careless word or two; and coffee was served—cambric tea in Drina's case.

5. To send or put away.

   She dismissed him with a wave of the hand.

6. (transitive, cricket) To get a batsman out.

   He was dismissed for 99 runs.

7. (transitive, soccer) To give someone a red card; to send off.
   • 2010 December 28, Kevin Darlin, “West Brom 1-3 Blackburn”, in BBC:

     Kalinic later saw red for a rash tackle on Paul Scharner before Gabriel Tamas was dismissed for bringing down Diouf.

• (to end the employment or service of): see Thesaurus:lay off

• brush off
• send someone packing
• send someone to the showers

• dismissal
• dismissive