discontinue

Everyday

1. To stop doing, making or providing something: The shop has discontinued that toy. tree →
2. (formal) To bring something to an end: The service will be discontinued. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life a product is «discontinued» when the company stops making it; in formal notices and exams «discontinue» is a stiff word for «stop». Phrases: «a discontinued line», «discontinue a service», «discontinue the use of».

Examples

• They discontinued my favourite cereal, so we can't buy it any more. tree →
• The bus service was discontinued last winter. tree →
• Discontinue use if your skin gets red. tree →
• The factory discontinued the old model of car. tree →
• My trainers are discontinued, so I need a new kind. tree →
• The club discontinued its Saturday lessons. tree →

Note

«Discontinued» is often used like an adjective: a discontinued product. Formal; in plain talk say «stop». Not the same as «continue» (keep going) — the prefix dis- makes the opposite. In maths, a discontinued item stops adding to a total from that point on.

In Jewish tradition

In everyday life a product is «discontinued» when the company stops making it; in formal notices and exams «discontinue» is a stiff word for «stop». Phrases: «a discontinued line», «discontinue a service», «discontinue the use of».

Note

«Discontinued» is often used like an adjective: a discontinued product. Formal; in plain talk say «stop». Not the same as «continue» (keep going) — the prefix dis- makes the opposite. In maths, a discontinued item stops adding to a total from that point on.