cease and desist

10 synonyms for cease and desist, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A formal demand, usually sent as a letter by a lawyer, ordering someone to stop an activity said to be unlawful — such as using a trademark, publishing a claim or contacting a person — and warning of legal action if they do not.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

stop

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

injunction halt refrain

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

cease and desist letter demand letter legal notice restraining order stop order desist

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A formal demand, usually sent as a letter by a lawyer, ordering someone to stop an activity said to be unlawful — such as using a trademark, publishing a claim or contacting a person — and warning of legal action if they do not.

“She received a cease and desist over the logo within a week of launching.”

cease and desist letter demand letter legal notice

2. noun legal

An order issued by a court or regulator legally compelling a person or company to halt a specified activity.

“The regulator issued a cease and desist against the firm for selling unregistered securities.”

injunction restraining order stop order

3. verb

To stop doing something and not resume it.

“He was told to cease and desist from contacting the family.”

stop halt desist refrain

How to use cease and desist

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

send a cease and desist receive a cease and desist cease and desist letter cease and desist order

Legal register, but widely used in general speech and often jokingly ("consider this a cease and desist").

Etymology

A legal doublet: cease and desist both came into English from Old French (cesser and desister), from Latin cessare and desistere. Such pairings were common in English legal drafting, where two near-synonyms were set together to close any gap in meaning.

Full origin of cease and desist →

Frequently asked questions

Is a cease and desist letter legally binding?

A letter from a private lawyer is not. It is a demand and a warning, carrying no force on its own — ignoring it is not contempt of court. An order issued by a court or a regulator is a different thing entirely and must be obeyed.

What is the difference between a cease and desist and an injunction?

A cease and desist is typically the first step, sent privately before any case is filed. An injunction is granted by a judge after a legal application and is enforceable, with penalties for breaching it. Many disputes end at the letter stage without ever reaching an injunction.

Why does it say both cease and desist when they mean the same thing?

It is a legal doublet, an old drafting habit of pairing an English word with its French or Latin equivalent so no reading could wriggle out. Cease means stop now; desist means do not start again. Together they close both gaps.

People also searched

stop halt refrain injunction desist

Nearby words

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