cease and desist

== English == === Etymology === From cease (“stop”), and desist (“to not do again”). The noun sense can be viewed synchronically as an ellipsis of cease-and-desist order. === Verb === cease and desist (third-person singular simple present ceases and desists, present participle ceasing and desisting, simple past and past participle ceased and desisted) (law) To stop and not resume an action. ==== Translations ==== === Noun === cease-and-desist (law, chiefly attributive) A written demand that a party stops and does not resume a certain behavior, such as copyright infringement, slander, or libel, threatening legal action if the recipient fails to do so. Alternative form: C&D (initialism) (US, law, chiefly attributive) An order by a government agency, sanctioned by a court, that one must stop and not resume a certain (usually illegal) behavior.