"cease and desist" meaning in English

See cease and desist in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: cease-and-desist [canonical]
Etymology: From cease (“stop”), and desist (“to not do again”). Head templates: {{en-noun|?|head=cease-and-desist}} cease-and-desist
  1. (law, chiefly attributive) A written demand that a party stops and does not resume a certain behavior, such as copyright infringement, slander, or libel, threatening legal action if the recipient fails to do so. Tags: attributive Categories (topical): Law
    Sense id: en-cease_and_desist-en-noun-5COZFt40 Categories (other): English coordinated pairs, English entries with incorrect language header, English exocentric compounds, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Korean translations, Terms with Latin translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of English coordinated pairs: 38 40 22 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 69 26 5 Disambiguation of English exocentric compounds: 40 40 20 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 84 12 4 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 70 24 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 75 22 3 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 73 19 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 70 26 5 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 76 17 7 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 78 17 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 73 20 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 80 15 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Korean translations: 64 31 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Latin translations: 76 18 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 65 30 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 67 27 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 64 32 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 76 18 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 77 18 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 69 27 4 Topics: law
  2. (US, law, chiefly attributive) An order by a government agency, sanctioned by a court, that one must stop and not resume a certain (usually illegal) behavior. Tags: US, attributive Categories (topical): Law
    Sense id: en-cease_and_desist-en-noun-fG~EPMMG Categories (other): American English, English coordinated pairs, English exocentric compounds Disambiguation of English coordinated pairs: 38 40 22 Disambiguation of English exocentric compounds: 40 40 20 Topics: law

Verb

Forms: ceases and desists [present, singular, third-person], ceasing and desisting [participle, present], ceased and desisted [participle, past], ceased and desisted [past]
Etymology: From cease (“stop”), and desist (“to not do again”). Head templates: {{en-verb|cease<> and desist<>}} cease and desist (third-person singular simple present ceases and desists, present participle ceasing and desisting, simple past and past participle ceased and desisted)
  1. (law) To stop and not resume an action. Categories (topical): Law Translations (stop and not resume an action): 結束和停止 /结束和停止 (jiéshù hé tíngzhǐ) (Chinese Mandarin), houd op en doe van afstand (Dutch), lopettaa (Finnish), cessez et renoncez (French), hören Sie auf und verzichten Sie (German), πάψτε και σταματήστε (pápste kai stamatíste) (Greek), 停止及び再発阻止 (teishi, oyobi, saihatsu soshi) (Japanese), 지하고 단념하십시요 (ji-hago dannyeom-hasipsiyo) (Korean), desine et desiste [singular] (Latin), desinete et desistete [plural] (Latin), nakaz zaprzestania działalności [masculine] (Polish), cessar (Portuguese), прекрати́те и воздержи́тесь (prekratíte i vozderžítesʹ) (Russian), cesar y renunciar / desistir (Spanish), upphöra (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-cease_and_desist-en-verb-98irthrv Categories (other): English coordinated pairs, English exocentric compounds Disambiguation of English coordinated pairs: 38 40 22 Disambiguation of English exocentric compounds: 40 40 20 Topics: law

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_text": "From cease (“stop”), and desist (“to not do again”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ceases and desists",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
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    },
    {
      "form": "ceasing and desisting",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
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    },
    {
      "form": "ceased and desisted",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
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    {
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  "lang_code": "en",
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  "senses": [
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      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Law",
          "orig": "en:Law",
          "parents": [
            "Justice",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
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        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "We are told to cease and desist or we will cease to exist.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To stop and not resume an action."
      ],
      "id": "en-cease_and_desist-en-verb-98irthrv",
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(law) To stop and not resume an action."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "jiéshù hé tíngzhǐ",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "結束和停止 /结束和停止"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "houd op en doe van afstand"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "lopettaa"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "cessez et renoncez"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "hören Sie auf und verzichten Sie"
        },
        {
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "pápste kai stamatíste",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "πάψτε και σταματήστε"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "teishi, oyobi, saihatsu soshi",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "停止及び再発阻止"
        },
        {
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "ji-hago dannyeom-hasipsiyo",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "지하고 단념하십시요"
        },
        {
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "tags": [
            "singular"
          ],
          "word": "desine et desiste"
        },
        {
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "tags": [
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "desinete et desistete"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "nakaz zaprzestania działalności"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "cessar"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "prekratíte i vozderžítesʹ",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "прекрати́те и воздержи́тесь"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "cesar y renunciar / desistir"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
          "word": "upphöra"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "cease and desist"
  ],
  "word": "cease and desist"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "From cease (“stop”), and desist (“to not do again”).",
  "forms": [
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      "tags": [
        "canonical"
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      "id": "en-cease_and_desist-en-noun-5COZFt40",
      "links": [
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          "libel",
          "libel"
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        "(law, chiefly attributive) A written demand that a party stops and does not resume a certain behavior, such as copyright infringement, slander, or libel, threatening legal action if the recipient fails to do so."
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        {
          "text": "His remarks did not stop the courts from issuing the cease-and-desist order.",
          "type": "example"
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        "An order by a government agency, sanctioned by a court, that one must stop and not resume a certain (usually illegal) behavior."
      ],
      "id": "en-cease_and_desist-en-noun-fG~EPMMG",
      "links": [
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        "(US, law, chiefly attributive) An order by a government agency, sanctioned by a court, that one must stop and not resume a certain (usually illegal) behavior."
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    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations"
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  "etymology_text": "From cease (“stop”), and desist (“to not do again”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ceases and desists",
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        "present",
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      "form": "ceasing and desisting",
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        "(law) To stop and not resume an action."
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    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "jiéshù hé tíngzhǐ",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "結束和停止 /结束和停止"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "houd op en doe van afstand"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "lopettaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "cessez et renoncez"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "hören Sie auf und verzichten Sie"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "pápste kai stamatíste",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "πάψτε και σταματήστε"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "teishi, oyobi, saihatsu soshi",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "停止及び再発阻止"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "ji-hago dannyeom-hasipsiyo",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "지하고 단념하십시요"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "tags": [
        "singular"
      ],
      "word": "desine et desiste"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "desinete et desistete"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "nakaz zaprzestania działalności"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "cessar"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "prekratíte i vozderžítesʹ",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "прекрати́те и воздержи́тесь"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "cesar y renunciar / desistir"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "stop and not resume an action",
      "word": "upphöra"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "cease and desist"
  ],
  "word": "cease and desist"
}

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      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ],
        [
          "copyright infringement",
          "copyright infringement"
        ],
        [
          "slander",
          "slander"
        ],
        [
          "libel",
          "libel"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(law, chiefly attributive) A written demand that a party stops and does not resume a certain behavior, such as copyright infringement, slander, or libel, threatening legal action if the recipient fails to do so."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "attributive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Law"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "His remarks did not stop the courts from issuing the cease-and-desist order.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An order by a government agency, sanctioned by a court, that one must stop and not resume a certain (usually illegal) behavior."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ],
        [
          "sanction",
          "sanction"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, law, chiefly attributive) An order by a government agency, sanctioned by a court, that one must stop and not resume a certain (usually illegal) behavior."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "attributive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "cease and desist"
  ],
  "word": "cease and desist"
}

Download raw JSONL data for cease and desist meaning in English (6.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-04-08 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-04-03 using wiktextract (51d164f and fb63907). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.