ceased

Ceased is the past tense and past participle of the verb cease, meaning to stop, come to an end, or discontinue. It describes a completed action in the past (The rain ceased) and forms perfect tenses with have or had (The rain has ceased; The project had ceased). It can also appear in passive constructions (Operations were ceased) or in phrases like ceased to do something, which signals that an action or state ended (She ceased to protest).

Etymology: The word derives from Old French cesser “to cease,” from Latin cessare “to be at rest, to cease.”

Usage: Ceased is common in formal or written contexts such as journalism, law, and history. It often conveys finality or a complete ending more than synonyms like stop. The phrase ceased to do something can indicate a change in ability, habit, or state rather than a simple interruption.

Related terms and notes: See also cease, cessation, ceaseless, and ceasefire. A common spelling confusion is with seize, which is etymologically unrelated. In practice, ceased is typically used for past events or states that have ended permanently or for the time being, whereas cease can refer to a current or future stopping in the imperative or present contexts. Examples include historical descriptions (The hostilities ceased in 1945) and contemporary reporting (Production has ceased due to supply issues).