Dismissal vs. Termination: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Dismissal refers to being sent away or having one's position removed, often for cause, while termination is the act of ending something, such as employment, which may or may not be for cause.
Key Differences
Dismissal is often used in employment contexts to describe an employee being removed from their position, typically for specific reasons such as misconduct or poor performance. Termination, while also used in employment to denote the end of a job, can be broader, encompassing end of employment for various reasons, including company downsizing or the completion of a contract.
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Nov 13, 2023
In legal terms, dismissal can refer to a case or claim being dismissed by a court, meaning it's closed without a full trial or judgment, often due to procedural issues. Termination in legal contexts often refers to the conclusion of a legal agreement or contract, which can be due to fulfillment of terms, mutual agreement, or other reasons not necessarily implying fault.
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Dismissal often carries a connotation of rejection or disapproval, especially in social or personal contexts, like dismissing someone's ideas. In contrast, termination is a more neutral term that simply indicates the end of a process, relationship, or period.
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The term dismissal can also be used in educational settings, like the dismissal of a student from school, often for disciplinary reasons. Termination, when used in non-employment contexts, can refer to the end of any kind of arrangement, project, or period, without the connotation of fault or failure.
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Nov 13, 2023
Summarizing, dismissal often implies an active decision to remove or reject, usually for cause or due to inadequacy, while termination is a broader term that refers to the end of something, which may be due to a variety of reasons, not necessarily implying fault.
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Nov 13, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Implication
Often for cause or due to inadequacy
Can be for any reason, including natural conclusion
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Usage
Commonly in employment, legal, education
Employment, contracts, projects
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Context
Performance, misconduct, procedural issues
Completion, mutual agreement, restructuring
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Dismissal and Termination Definitions
Dismissal
The act of sending someone away or removing from position.
The employee faced dismissal due to repeated tardiness.
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Termination
Concluding a legal contract or agreement.
The termination of the lease agreement was mutually agreed upon.
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Dismissal
Rejection of a case or claim in court.
The judge's dismissal of the lawsuit brought relief to the defendant.
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Termination
The end of an employment relationship.
Her termination was a result of the company's downsizing.
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Dismissal
Removal of a student from school.
The student's dismissal was a result of violating school policy.
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Termination
The act of stopping something from continuing.
The termination of the service was due to non-payment.
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Dismissal
The act of deeming something unworthy of consideration.
Her dismissal of the new ideas frustrated the team.
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Dismissal
The end of service or employment for cause.
The dismissal of the director was due to financial misconduct.
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Dismissal
The act of dismissing
He was disappointed by the committee's dismissal of his request.
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Dismissal
The condition of being dismissed
She protested her dismissal from the job.
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Dismissal
An order or notice of discharge, as from a position
The ambassador's dismissal was sent by telegram.
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Termination
(Linguistics) The end of a word, as a suffix, inflectional ending, or final morpheme.
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Dismissal
Deprivation of office; the fact or process of being fired from employment or stripped of rank.
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Termination
The process of firing an employee; ending one's employment at a business for any reason.
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Dismissal
Removal from consideration; putting something out of one's mind, mentally disregarding something or someone.
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Dismissal
(legal) The rejection of a legal proceeding, or a claim or charge made therein.
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Termination
(grammar) The last part of a word; an ending, a desinence; a suffix.
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Dismissal
(Christianity) The final blessing said by a priest or minister at the end of a religious service.
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Dismissal
Dismission; discharge.
Officeholders were commanded faithfully to enforce it, upon pain of immediate dismissal.
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Termination
The act of terminating, or of limiting or setting bounds; the act of ending or concluding; as, a voluntary termination of hostilities.
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Termination
That which ends or bounds; limit in space or extent; bound; end; as, the termination of a line.
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Termination
End in time or existence; as, the termination of the year, or of life; the termination of happiness.
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Dismissal
The termination of someone's employment (leaving them free to depart)
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Termination
The ending of a word; a final syllable or letter; the part added to a stem in inflection.
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Termination
A coming to an end of a contract period;
The expiry of his driver's license
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Termination
Something that results;
He listened for the results on the radio
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Termination
The end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme);
I don't like words that have -ism as an ending
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Termination
The act of bringing something to an end.
The termination of the project was due to lack of funding.
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Termination
The process of ending a phase or period.
The study reached its termination after five years.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Is termination final?
Yes, it usually denotes the definitive end of something.
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Can termination occur without fault?
Yes, termination can be for reasons not related to fault.
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Does dismissal imply legal proceedings?
Not always, it can occur in various contexts like employment.
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Is dismissal from school always disciplinary?
Often, but it can also be for academic reasons.
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Does termination always involve contracts?
Often, but it can also apply to non-contractual situations.
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Can a dismissal be appealed?
In some contexts, like employment or law, yes.
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Can dismissal be positive?
Rarely, as it usually implies removal for cause.
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Is dismissal always negative?
Generally, it has negative connotations, but context matters.
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Are terminations always documented?
In formal settings like employment, documentation is standard.
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Does dismissal require a formal process?
Typically, especially in employment or legal cases.
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Can a dismissal be retracted?
Depending on the situation, it may be possible.
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Does dismissal affect future employment?
It can, depending on the reason and industry.
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Is dismissal common in sports?
Yes, for reasons like rule violations or poor performance.
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Does termination imply a fault in contracts?
Not necessarily; it can be due to natural contract conclusion.
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Is termination the same as quitting?
No, quitting is self-initiated, while termination is from the other party.
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Is dismissal always based on performance?
Often, but it can also be for other reasons like misconduct.
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Can termination be without notice?
In some cases, yes, but often notice is given or required.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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