Quietus

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kwaɪˈiːtəs/

Definitions

1. A final resolution or conclusion of a matter marks the end of life or existence, representing a relinquishment of earthly ties or obligations and the settling of outstanding debts
2. The cessation of life signifies not only death but also a release from responsibilities, embodying a discharge of debts or obligations in a conclusive manner
3. The complete and ultimate conclusion of an issue or debt ; the end of life or state of being, often implying peace or release

Etymology: The most striking thing about "quietus" is that it began as an accounting term. Medieval Latin officials used "quiētus est" ("he is quiet", or in plain terms "he is discharged") to mark a debt as settled, so a receipt or release from obligation was a quietus. English borrowed the phrase in its Latin form, and by the late Middle English period "quietus est" was in use with that legal sense of final release. Over time the sense of release from debt, and from any burden, drifted toward release from life itself. Freedom from earthly troubles was easily imagined as the ultimate discharge, and by the 1530s English writers were using "quietus" for a peaceful death. The word is a shortened form of the Latin phrase, and it is a doublet of "quit", "quite", "quiet", and "coy", all descended from the same Latin root meaning "quiet" or "at rest".

Synonyms: rest, death, finality, cessation, conclusion

Antonyms: life, activity, vitality, beginning, continuation