desist
v.to stop doing something, especially when someone in authority tells you to. It is a very formal way to say 'stop'.
v.to cease or abstain from an action or behaviour. Often used in legal or official contexts to command the termination of a specific activity.
“The judge ordered the company to desist from using the logo.”
“After receiving a formal warning from the council, the neighbours agreed to desist from playing loud music after midnight.”
“The court issued a permanent injunction requiring the defendant to desist from any further contact with the plaintiff, citing a documented history of harassment and intimidation.”
The verb is intransitive and is almost always followed by the preposition 'from' and a gerund or noun phrase.
Desist is intransitive and requires the preposition 'from' before the object of the stopping.
From Middle French desister.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.