dismiss
to formally ask or order someone to leave
The teacher dismissed the class early because she had a meeting.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
dismiss
verb (dismisses, dismissing, dismissed )
1 (formal) to make somebody leave their job same meaning sack or fire:
He was dismissed for stealing money from the company.
2 to allow somebody to leave a place:
The lesson finished and the teacher dismissed the class.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
dismiss
dis‧miss W3 /dɪsˈmɪs/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: dimissus, past participle of dimittere 'to send away']
1. to refuse to consider someone’s idea, opinion etc, because you think it is not serious, true, or important:
The government has dismissed criticisms that the country’s health policy is a mess.
dismiss something as something
He just laughed and dismissed my proposal as unrealistic.
It’s an idea that shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand (=dismissed immediately and completely).
2. to remove someone from their job SYN fire, sack
dismiss somebody from something
Bryant was unfairly dismissed from his post.
dismiss somebody for something
Employees can be dismissed for sending obscene emails.
REGISTER
In everyday British English, people usually say sack someone, and in everyday American English, people usually say fire someone, rather than use dismiss:
▪ He was sacked (BrE)/fired (AmE) for being late all the time.
3. formal to tell someone that they are allowed to go, or are no longer needed:
The class was dismissed early today.
4. if a judge dismisses a court case, he or she stops it from continuing:
The case was dismissed owing to lack of evidence.
5. to end the ↑innings of a player or team in the game of ↑cricket
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ dismiss an idea/suggestion Both actors dismissed any idea of a romantic relationship between them.
▪ dismiss a notion formal (=idea) The Minister dismissed the notion that he had cut petrol tax because of the forthcoming by-election.
▪ dismiss a possibility The Prime Minister dismissed the possibility of an early election.
▪ dismiss a claim An industrial tribunal dismissed his claim of unfair discrimination.
▪ dismiss an allegation/charge She claimed that she was honest and dismissed the allegations against her.
▪ dismiss a thought Was he lying? I tried to dismiss the thought.
▪ dismiss fears The Transport Minister dismissed fears that the Cotswold railway line would close.
▪ dismiss criticism He dismissed criticism of the country's human rights record.
■ adverbs
▪ easily/lightly (=without much thought) This is a question that cannot be dismissed lightly.
■ phrases
▪ dismiss something out of hand (=immediately, without thinking about it) It's an interesting idea so don't dismiss it out of hand.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
dismiss / dɪˈsmɪs / verb (SEND AWAY)
[ T ] to formally ask or order someone to leave:
The teacher dismissed the class early because she had a meeting.
[ T ] When a judge dismisses a court case, he or she formally stops the trial, often because there is not enough proof that someone is guilty:
The defending lawyer asked that the charge against his client be dismissed.
dismiss / dɪˈsmɪs / verb [ T often passive ] (END JOB)
C1 to remove someone from their job, especially because they have done something wrong:
He has been dismissed from his job for incompetence.
dismiss / dɪˈsmɪs / verb [ T ] (NOT TAKE SERIOUSLY)
C1 to decide that something or someone is not important and not worth considering:
I think he'd dismissed me as an idiot within five minutes of meeting me.
Let's not just dismiss the idea before we've even thought about it.
Just dismiss those thoughts from your mind - they're crazy and not worth thinking about.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
dismiss
[dɪ̱smɪ̱s]
dismisses, dismissing, dismissed
1) VERB If you dismiss something, you decide or say that it is not important enough for you to think about or consider.
[V n as n] Mr Wakeham dismissed the reports as speculation...
[V n] I would certainly dismiss any allegations of impropriety by the Labour Party...
[V n] I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand.
Syn:
discount
2) VERB If you dismiss something from your mind, you stop thinking about it.
[V n from n] I dismissed him from my mind...
[V n] `It's been a lovely day,' she said, dismissing the episode.
Syn:
banish
3) VERB When an employer dismisses an employee, the employer tells the employee that they are no longer needed to do the job that they have been doing.
[V n] ...the power to dismiss civil servants who refuse to work...
[V n] The military commander has been dismissed.
Syn:
sack, fire
4) VERB If you are dismissed by someone in authority, they tell you that you can go away from them.
[be V-ed] Two more witnesses were called, heard and dismissed...
[be V-ed] The hired carriage was dismissed. [Also V n]
Syn:
sent away
5) VERB When a judge dismisses a case against someone, he or she formally states that there is no need for a trial, usually because there is not enough evidence for the case to continue.
[V n] An American judge yesterday dismissed murder charges against Dr Jack Kevorkian.
[have n V-ed] ...their attempt to have the case against them dismissed.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
dismiss
dis·miss /dɪsˈmɪs/ verb -miss·es; -missed; -mis·sing [+ obj]
1 : to decide not to think about or consider (something or someone)
• We dismissed his accusations.
• We can't completely dismiss [=discount] the possibility that she's right.
• I don't think we should dismiss the matter lightly.
- often + as
• His idea was dismissed as impractical.
• For a long time they dismissed her as a silly old woman.
2 : to send (someone) away : to cause or allow (someone) to leave
• The students were dismissed early because of the snowstorm.
• Class is dismissed. [=the class is over and students are free to leave]
3 : to officially make (someone) leave a job : to end the employment or service of (someone)
• He was dismissed [=fired] from his job.
• Several employees were recently dismissed.
4 law : to officially end or stop (something, such as a legal case)
• The judge dismissed the case/suit.
• All charges were dismissed. [=dropped]
- dis·miss·al /dɪsˈmɪsəl/ noun, pl -als
[count]
• I was surprised by his dismissal of the idea.
• A small group is protesting the dismissals of several employees.
• the dismissal of the lawsuit
[noncount]
• He still hopes to win his claim for unfair dismissal.
