# dismissed

/dɪsˈmɪst/ (US) · /dɪsmˈɪst/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. rejected an idea

verb · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: to treat an idea, suggestion, or person as unworthy of serious consideration.

- The manager dismissed my suggestion without even looking at the data.
- The board dismissed the proposal as financially unviable before the consultant had even finished the presentation.

### 2. sent away

verb · CEFR B1

to be officially allowed or told to leave a place.

For teachers: to be formally permitted or ordered to leave a setting, such as a classroom or a court of law.

- The teacher dismissed the class five minutes early because it was a holiday.
- Once the witness had finished her testimony, the judge informed her she was dismissed and free to leave the courtroom.

### 3. fired from a job

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal

having lost your job, usually because you did something wrong or the employer no longer needs you.

For teachers: having had one's employment terminated by an employer.

- He was dismissed from his position after he was caught sharing private company secrets.
- The senior executive was summarily dismissed following an internal investigation into the misappropriation of corporate funds.

### 4. you may leave

interjection · CEFR C1 · Formal

a formal command telling someone they are allowed to leave.

For teachers: a formal imperative used to signal the end of an interaction and authorize the subordinate's departure.

- The officer looked up from his desk and said, 'That will be all, Sergeant. Dismissed.'
- After delivering the morning briefing, the colonel gave a sharp nod and told the assembled officers they were dismissed.

Usage: Commonly used in military or highly structured environments.

## Examples

- The boss dismissed his idea without even listening.
- After hearing the witness's testimony, the judge dismissed the case due to a lack of evidence.
- While the initial findings were dismissed by the scientific community as mere anomalies, subsequent peer-reviewed studies confirmed that the phenomenon was both real and reproducible.

---

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.