cease and desist

Related to cease and desist: cease and desist order

cease and desist

To stop doing something. This phrase is typically associated with legal matters. We received a letter ordering us to cease and desist due to copyright infringement, so we had to halt production.
See also: and, cease, desist
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

cease and desist

to completely stop doing something. (A legal phrase.) The judge ordered the merchant to cease and desist the deceptive practices. When they were ordered to cease and desist, they finally stopped.
See also: and, cease, desist
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

cease and desist

Stop, leave off doing something, as in: "Bliss excavated at least once on his own and Dr. Brand ... told him to cease and desist" (Douglas Preston quoting Frank Hibben, The New Yorker, June 12, 1995). This legal term is a redundancy, since cease and desist mean virtually the same thing, but often appears in legal documents to avoid possible misinterpretation. [c. 1920]
See also: and, cease, desist
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • desist
  • cease
  • desist from
  • desist from (something)
  • draw the curtain on (something)
  • draw the curtain over (something)
  • come to a stop
  • let (something) lie
  • let something lie
  • cease fire
References in periodicals archive
Cease and desist letters can be an important tool for a patent owner.
Instead, if a noteholder wanted to cash in all or part of their note, Berjac took the money out of its operating fund or used its lines of credit to pay the investor, according to the cease and desist order.
The Federal Reserve Board announced on August 1, 2005, the issuance of a cease and desist order and order of assessment of a civil money penalty against Frank French, a former institution-affiliated party of the Montana State Bank, Plentywood, Montana.
THE DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL REGULATION (DEPARTMENT) ISSUED AN ORDER FOR NURSE VALERIE RUNES (F/K/A VALERIE MORRIS) TO CEASE AND DESIST FROM THE PRACTICE OF NURSE MIDWIFERY.
The counsel or the committee may also recommend the acceptance of a cease and desist affidavit.
The online seller, www.businessbookreview.com, has received cease and desist letters from Harvard University Press, which has also filed suit for copyright infringement, as well as Perseus Books.
Without admitting or denying the SEC's allegations, BellSouth consented to the order, which requires BellSouth to cease and desist from violating the law.
The publication includes coverage of new laws and regulations, such as Gramm-Leach-Bliley, compliance actions to avoid federal cease and desist actions, and explanations of the federal regulatory scheme affecting banks, insurers, brokers and a variety of related businesses with access to private and personal information.
Insurance regulators in Florida and Georgia said they have filed "cease and desist" orders directing more than two dozen insurance companies to stop collecting higher premiums from blacks based on race.
"Peace always comes in steps, and the first step is to cease and desist from killing."
This, along with numerous violations of Federal Home Loan Bank Board regulations, caused the board to issue a temporary order to cease and desist. As part of the terms of the order, Western hired Ernst & Young's predecessor firm, Arthur Young & Company, to audit its financial statements.
'So it would be good at this time to just give them the advice to stop, cease and desist in doing business until such time that the clearance given by government, whether city engineer or whoever is competent to review the planning,' the President added.
* International Hole in One Association dba Hole in One International, Reno, Nev.; ordered to cease and desist, fined $15,000 and ordered to pay premium tax
The Philippines' transport regulator has ordered ride-sharing startup Arcade City to 'cease and desist' for operating as a transportation network company without coordinating with the agency.