dismissal

dismissal — noun

1. the situation when a company or organization tells a worker that they must leave

1.名詞B1
釋義

the situation when a company or organization tells a worker that they must leave their job, usually because the worker has done something wrong or has not performed well enough

例句

After three warnings about lateness, Ayana received a letter of dismissal from her manager.

collocation: letter of dismissal

The union argued that the worker's dismissal was unfair and asked for his job back.

collocation: unfair dismissal

同義詞
  • firing

    more direct and slightly less formal than 'dismissal'

  • sacking

    informal British English term for the same situation

  • termination

    the most formal and neutral term; can also refer to ending a contract

反義詞

文法句型

dismissal of [employee]

dismissal from [position/company]

dismissal for [reason]

用法筆記

Contrast with 'resignation' (the employee chooses to quit) and 'layoff' (the employee is let go for business reasons, not their own fault). Uncountable when referring to the concept in general; countable when referring to a specific instance.

常見錯誤

❌She received a dismissal from her job after saying she wanted to quit.
✅She received a dismissal from her job after being late too many times.
💡A dismissal is imposed by the employer; it is not the same as resigning.

2. the act of deciding that someone's idea, opinion, or piece of evidence is not im

2.名詞B2
釋義

the act of deciding that someone's idea, opinion, or piece of evidence is not important enough to think about seriously

例句

The scientist's dismissal of the new evidence frustrated the rest of the research team.

pattern: dismissal of + [evidence/idea]

Defne waved her hand in dismissal when I tried to explain my plan.

collocation: gesture of dismissal

同義詞
  • rejection

    broader — can apply to people as well as ideas; 'rejection' is less dismissive of the idea's value

  • disregard

    stronger emphasis on ignoring rather than actively rejecting

反義詞

文法句型

dismissal of [idea/claim/concern/evidence]

dismissal as + noun/adjective

用法筆記

The thing being dismissed is almost always stated explicitly after 'of' — 'dismissal of [idea/claim/evidence]'. Without this, the sentence may be confused with the employment sense.

常見錯誤

❌His dismissal was rude.' (which sense? confusing).
✅His dismissal of her suggestion was rude.
💡Always specify what is being dismissed with 'of' to avoid ambiguity with the job sense.

3. a situation in which a judge ends a legal case or cancels charges before a full

3.名詞B2
釋義

a situation in which a judge ends a legal case or cancels charges before a full hearing, usually since the available facts are too weak to continue or a legal rule prevents going ahead

例句

The judge ordered the dismissal of all charges against Apinya due to lack of evidence.

collocation: dismissal of charges

Sahil's lawyer filed a motion seeking dismissal of the case before trial.

pattern: motion for dismissal of [case]

同義詞
反義詞
  • indictment

    the formal accusation that starts a legal case

  • conviction

    a guilty verdict after a full trial

文法句型

dismissal of [charges/a case/a lawsuit]

motion for dismissal

dismissal with/without prejudice

用法筆記

Distinguish from 'acquittal' (a verdict of not guilty after a full trial). A dismissal happens before or without a trial. In US law, there is an important distinction between 'dismissal with prejudice' (the case cannot be brought again) and 'dismissal without prejudice' (the case can be refiled).

常見錯誤

❌The defendant was found not guilty by dismissal.
✅The charges against the defendant were dropped by dismissal before trial.
💡A dismissal is not the same as a 'not guilty' verdict, which only comes after a trial.