Cessation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /sɛˈseɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The act of stopping or ending something that was previously happening or in progress
2. The process of bringing something to an end or discontinuing an ongoing activity
3. A stopping or termination of an action, process, or state that was previously in effect

Etymology: The Latin verb "cedere" meant "to go, move away, yield," and its frequentative-style relative "cessare" meant "to delay, linger, or stop doing something." From "cessare" came "cessatio," a noun meaning a pause or a ceasing, which passed into Middle French as "cessation." English borrowed the word from French, so the stopping sense arrived with the French form rather than through a native English route. The word is closely tied to a family of related terms that share the same Latin root. "Cession," the giving up of territory or rights, comes from the same source, as do the English verb "cede" and the sense of yielding that runs through them. The core idea across the family is moving away from, or letting go of, a position or activity.

Synonyms: cessation, termination, stoppage, halt, discontinuation

Antonyms: continuation, persistence, progression, continuity