dismissed
UK[dɪsˈmɪst]US[dɪsˈmɪst]
v
To decide that something or someone is not important or worth considering.
v
To officially remove someone from their job.
v
To send someone away or allow them to leave.
v
(in law) To refuse to consider a case further in a court of law.
Morpheme Breakdown
dis
miss
ed
dis
away/apart
miss
send
ed
past tense suffix
Etymology
The word "dismiss" originates from the Latin verb dimittere, meaning "to send away" or "to release." This Latin term is a compound of dis- (apart) and mittere (to send). The core logic of sending someone or something away evolved in English to encompass the figurative senses of rejecting an idea, terminating employment, or ending a legal proceeding. The addition of the "-ed" suffix simply marks the action as completed in the past, maintaining the word's fundamental concept of causing something to be sent away from consideration, presence, or position.
Analysis
Structure: dis (away/apart) + miss (send) + ed (past tense suffix)
- dis: A Latin prefix meaning "apart," "away," or "having a negative or reversing force."
- miss: From the Latin root mittere (to send), appearing in English as the morpheme "miss" or "mit."
- ed: An Old English-derived suffix used to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.
Examples
The committee dismissed the proposal as impractical.
She was dismissed from her position for repeated misconduct.
The judge dismissed the charges due to a lack of evidence.