cessare

Cessare is an Italian verb meaning to stop or cease. It describes the end or interruption of an action, process, or state. In everyday Italian, speakers often prefer synonyms such as fermarsi, interrompere, or smettere, especially in colloquial contexts. In more formal or literary writing, cessare can convey a sense of formal cessation or termination.

The word derives from the Latin infinitive cessare, meaning to cease or desist. The Latin form gave rise to the Italian term and to cognates in other Romance languages. The corresponding Italian noun is cessazione, meaning cessation or ending, and the English word cessation shares the same root.

Usage notes: The verb is typically used intransitively or with the preposition di before an infinitive to describe stopping an action, as in cessare di fare qualcosa. For example, La produzione cessò a causa del guasto. Cessare also occurs with phrases such as cessare le ostilità, meaning to cease hostilities, often in historical or diplomatic contexts. In contemporary Italian, cessare is considered more formal; in everyday speech, speakers often prefer fermarsi, interrompere, or smettere.

See also: cessazione; cessation; desistere; several related Latin and Romance-language verbs that express ending or stopping.