cease

/ˈsēs/

Middle English cesen, from Anglo-French cesser, from Latin cessare to hold back, be remiss, frequentative of cedere

verb

  1. to cause to come to an end especially gradually : no longer continue

  2. to come to an end

  3. to bring an activity or action to an end : discontinue

they were forced to cease operations

stop cease quit discontinue desist mean to suspend or cause to suspend activity. stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness. cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality.

noun

  1. cessation —usually used with without

noun

  1. an order from an administrative agency to refrain from a method of competition or a labor practice found by the agency to be unfair