jet·ti·son
ˈje-tə-sən 
-zən
jettisoned; jettisoning; jettisons
1
: to get rid of as superfluous or encumbering : omit or forgo as part of a plan or as the result of some other decision
must be prepared to jettison many romantic notions—
Christopher Catling
Christopher Catling2
: to drop (cargo) to lighten a ship's load in time of distress
3
: to drop from an aircraft or spacecraft in flight
: a voluntary sacrifice of cargo to lighten a ship's load in time of distress
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The Origin of Jettison
Jettison comes from Anglo-French geteson, which means literally "action of throwing" and is related to the Latin verb jactare, meaning "to throw." The noun jettison refers to a voluntary sacrifice of cargo to lighten a ship's load in time of distress, and it is the source of the word jetsam (the name for goods "jettisoned"); the word is often paired with flotsam ("floating wreckage"). These days you don't have to be on a sinking ship to "jettison" something: the verb also means simply "to get rid of."
Examples of jettison in a Sentence
Verb
The captain gave orders to jettison the cargo.
They jettisoned the fuel and made an emergency landing.
We should jettison these old computers and get new ones.
They jettisoned plans for a vacation.
Noun
with his ship rapidly sinking, the captain ordered a last-ditch jettison of much of its cargo
Recent Examples on the Web
Kate Knibbs, Wired News, 9 July 2025
Journeyman Cooper Hummel, cut by Houston in spring training and jettisoned by two other clubs already this season, homered Tuesday to win a one-run game.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 26 June 2025
Jim Amann, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2025
And to be clear, this whole Flight of the Century thing isn't just a concept: the team is planning battery jettison tests for this summer, with a transatlantic UAV-recharging flight in 2014.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 July 2012
See All Example Sentences for jettison
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Verb
Despite those assertions, critical programs have already been jettisoned, and some experts say the fatality toll from the cuts will be up to 14 million preventable deaths.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired News, 9 July 2025
Journeyman Cooper Hummel, cut by Houston in spring training and jettisoned by two other clubs already this season, homered Tuesday to win a one-run game.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 26 June 2025
Noun
All the statehouse needs to do is jettison this one misguided provision.
—Jim Amann, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2025
And to be clear, this whole Flight of the Century thing isn't just a concept: the team is planning battery jettison tests for this summer, with a transatlantic UAV-recharging flight in 2014.
—IEEE Spectrum, 12 July 2012
See All Example Sentences for jettison
Cite this Entry
“Jettison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jettison. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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