cesser

Cesser is a French verb meaning to stop, cease, or come to an end. It is used both transitively and intransitively, covering a range from temporary halting to the final termination of an activity or situation.

In usage, cesser is often followed by de + infinitive to express stopping an action, as in il a cessé de parler (he stopped talking). It can also take a direct object when ending an ongoing process, for example la guerre a cessé (the war has ceased) or ils ont cessé les négociations (they ended the negotiations). The imperative form is used to command others to stop, as in Cessez le feu! (Cease fire!). Cesser can thus describe both momentary interruptions and formal termination.

Conjugation follows the pattern of regular -er verbs, with present forms such as je cesse, tu cesses, il/elle cesse, nous cessons, vous cessez, ils cessent. The passé composé uses avoir: j'ai cessé; the imperfect: je cessais; the future: je cesserai; and the subjunctive: que je cesse. The phrase ce n’est pas qui cesse finit may be encountered in older or literary texts, but modern usage remains straightforward.

Etymology traces cesser to Old French cesser, from Latin cessare, meaning to stop or cease. In contemporary French, synonyms include s’arrêter, mettre fin à, and interrompre, though cesser conveys a sense of bringing something to a definite end. It is common in formal writing, law, diplomacy, and journalism, as well as in everyday speech.