Phrase guide

cease and desist

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A written demand that a party stops and does not resume a certain behavior, such as copyright infringement, slander, or libel, threatening legal action if the recipient fails to do so.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: attributive

Topics: law

Examples

  • She received a cease-and-desist from his solicitors soon after the podcast.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An order by a government agency, sanctioned by a court, that one must stop and not resume a certain (usually illegal) behavior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, attributive

Topics: law

Examples

  • His remarks did not stop the courts from issuing the cease-and-desist order.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To stop and not resume an action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

Examples

  • We are told to cease and desist or we will cease to exist.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From cease (“stop”), and desist (“to not do again”). The noun sense can be viewed synchronically as an ellipsis of cease-and-desist order.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 結束和停止 /结束和停止 (jiéshù hé tíngzhǐ) — stop and not resume an action
  • Dutch: houd op en doe van afstand — stop and not resume an action
  • Finnish: lopettaa — stop and not resume an action
  • French: cessez et renoncez — stop and not resume an action
  • German: hören Sie auf und verzichten Sie — stop and not resume an action
  • Greek: πάψτε και σταματήστε (pápste kai stamatíste) — stop and not resume an action
  • Japanese: 停止及び再発阻止 (teishi, oyobi, saihatsu soshi) — stop and not resume an action
  • Korean: 지하고 단념하십시요 (ji-hago dannyeom-hasipsiyo) — stop and not resume an action
  • Italian: diffida — stop and not resume an action
  • Polish: nakaz zaprzestania działalności — stop and not resume an action
  • Portuguese: cessar — stop and not resume an action
  • Russian: прекрати́те и воздержи́тесь (prekratíte i vozderžítesʹ) — stop and not resume an action
  • Spanish: cesar y renunciar / desistir — stop and not resume an action
  • Swedish: upphöra — stop and not resume an action