Did you
know?

cessation
noun

- the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end

(Oxford Dictionary)

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Cessation is just another word for noting the end of something. It stems from the Latin "cessatio," a delaying or ending. Cessatio is also the root of the English verb "cease," to stop or bring to an end.

For those who smoke or who are considering quitting, there was a time when people tried "stop smoking" programs. Stop is slowly being replaced by the more formal and fancy term cessation:

"We have therefore decided to further promote smoking cessation and weight loss services to improve outcomes for patients." (BBC News)

"Private insurers operating in West Virginia are not required to provide tobacco cessation services." (Washington Times)

In the US, the word cessation has historical significance. In 1867 Russia and the United States signed the so-called Treaty Of Cessation, which is more often referred to as the Alaska Purchase, an agreement that handed over what is now the state of Alaska to the US.

The press labelled the deal Seward's Folly, because then Secretary of the Interior William Seward was criticized for what was viewed as a senseless purchase of useless land.

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SYNONYMS

break, breather, conclusion, discontinuance, ending, finish, halt, hiatus, pause, respite, stoppage, suspension, termination

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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation

"The cessation of flights after 20.00 will be a serious problem for many business travellers."