Discontinue

/ˌdɪskənˈtɪnjuː/ verb

Definition

To stop doing something or stop producing something.

Etymology

From Latin 'dis-' (away, apart) plus 'continuus' (continuous, uninterrupted). The word was formed in the 1400s by combining these parts to mean literally 'break continuity' or cease an ongoing action.

Kelly Says

Companies use 'discontinue' as a polite way to say 'we're killing this product forever,' but it's interesting that the word contains 'continue'—the opposite of what it means—which is why adding 'dis-' changes so many English words into their opposites (disagree, disobey, disarm).

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