# dismiss

/dɪsˈmɪs/ (US) · /dɪsmˈɪs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dismiss
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to reject an idea

verb · CEFR B2

to decide that something is not important or not worth thinking about.

For teachers: to refuse to consider an idea, suggestion, or possibility because it is deemed unworthy of serious attention.

- The boss dismissed my suggestion without even looking at the data.
- The committee dismissed the proposal as impractical, failing to recognize the long-term benefits of the suggested infrastructure upgrades.

### 2. to allow to leave

verb · CEFR B1

to officially tell someone or a group that they can go.

For teachers: to give permission to leave or to formally end a meeting or session.

- The teacher dismissed the class five minutes early because it was Friday.
- After the witness finished her testimony, the judge dismissed her and called for a brief recess before the next cross-examination.

### 3. to fire from a job

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to remove someone from their job, usually because they did something wrong.

For teachers: to terminate an individual's employment or service; often carries a more formal or legal tone than 'fire'.

- He was dismissed for consistently arriving late to the office.
- The board of directors voted to dismiss the CEO following a series of controversial financial disclosures that damaged the company's reputation.

### 4. to stop a legal case

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical · Formal

when a judge stops a court case from continuing.

For teachers: to stop a court case from proceeding, often due to a lack of evidence or a procedural error.

- The judge dismissed the case because there was not enough evidence.
- The defense attorney successfully moved to have the charges dismissed on the grounds that the evidence had been obtained through an illegal search.

### 5. to get a player out

verb · CEFR C1 · British English · Technical

to end a player's turn in a game like cricket.

For teachers: to end the innings of a batsman or a side in cricket.

- The star player was dismissed for only ten runs in the final match.
- The visiting team was dismissed for a surprisingly low total, largely due to the exceptional performance of the home side's spin bowlers.

## Examples

- The manager decided to dismiss the complaint because there was no evidence.
- After the final witness finished speaking, the judge chose to dismiss the case due to a lack of proof.
- While some critics were quick to dismiss the new theory as mere speculation, others argued that its core premises warranted a more rigorous scientific investigation.

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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.