# cease

/ˈsis/ (US) · /sˈiːs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cease
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to stop happening

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to stop or come to an end.

For teachers: to come to an end or eventuate in a state of inactivity. Often used intransitively to describe natural or mechanical processes.

- The rain finally ceased late in the evening, and the stars appeared.
- Hostilities between the two factions ceased only after the international community threatened to impose severe economic sanctions.

Usage: Often used as an intransitive verb where the subject is a process or state.

### 2. to stop doing something

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to stop doing a particular activity.

For teachers: to discontinue an action or practice. Transitive use often followed by a gerund or a noun phrase.

- The factory will cease production of the old model next month.
- The department was ordered to cease all recruitment activities until the budget for the next fiscal year had been approved.

Usage: Can be followed by a noun, a gerund (-ing), or a 'to' infinitive.

## Examples

- The rain began to cease as the sun came out.
- The company was ordered to cease all operations until the safety inspection was complete.
- Hostilities between the two nations did not cease until a formal treaty was signed by both heads of state under international supervision.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.