dismissed; dismissing; dismisses
1
: to permit or cause (someone) to leave
dismiss the visitors
Class is dismissed.
2
: to remove from position or service : discharge
He was dismissed [=fired] from his job.
Several employees were recently dismissed.
3
a
: to reject serious consideration of (something or someone)
dismissed the thought
dismissed her as an amateur
b
law
: to put (an action) out of judicial consideration : to refuse to hear (an action) or to hear (an action) further in court
dismiss all charges
This case is dismissed.
4
: to put out (a batsman) in cricket
Examples of dismiss in a Sentence
I don't think we should dismiss the matter lightly.
The students were dismissed early because of the snowstorm.
Several employees were recently dismissed.
Recent Examples on the Web
The court recommended that the petition be dismissed, and that the organizations be given one month to submit the employee lists.
—
Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
Even the foundations of today’s artificial intelligence boom were laid by the NSF in the 1980s and 1990s, when neural networks were a backwater dismissed by mainstream computer science.
—Gautam Mukunda, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
In 2018, his convictions were vacated and the charges against him were dismissed.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 14 May 2026
The Edmonton Oilers fired coach Kris Knoblauch on Thursday, dismissing him after a first-round exit followed him guiding the team to consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dismiss
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Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 15 May 2026
Even the foundations of today’s artificial intelligence boom were laid by the NSF in the 1980s and 1990s, when neural networks were a backwater dismissed by mainstream computer science.
—Gautam Mukunda, Twin Cities, 14 May 2026
In 2018, his convictions were vacated and the charges against him were dismissed.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 14 May 2026
The Edmonton Oilers fired coach Kris Knoblauch on Thursday, dismissing him after a first-round exit followed him guiding the team to consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dismiss
Cite this Entry
“Dismiss.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dismiss. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dismiss
verb
dis·miss
dis-ˈmis 
1
: to send away : cause or allow to go
dismissed the troops
2
: to discharge from office, service, or employment
3
: to put aside or out of mind
dismiss the thought
4
: to refuse further judicial hearing or consideration to
the judge dismissed the charge
Etymology
derived from Latin dimissus, past participle of dimittere "to send away," from di-, dis- "away, apart," and mittere "to send, throw" — related to emit
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