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
Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Trump has just jettisoned one of the Senate GOP’s favorites among his senior aides.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 2 May 2025
Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 19 May 2025
There’s an even better way to launch a drone: mount it on a rolling trolley that the drone jettisons on takeoff.
—David Axe, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jettison
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Verb
None Neither McNamara nor Kroeger, from South Carolina, has actually kicked in an NFL game, though the Jets felt good enough about this duo (for now, at least) to jettison Thomas Morstead.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Trump has just jettisoned one of the Senate GOP’s favorites among his senior aides.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 2 May 2025
Noun
Instead of backing off, corporations are evolving their diversity programs to focus on what works and jettison what does not, said Joelle Emerson, CEO of culture and inclusion platform Paradigm.
—Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 19 May 2025
There’s an even better way to launch a drone: mount it on a rolling trolley that the drone jettisons on takeoff.
—David Axe, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jettison
Cite this Entry
“Jettison.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jettison. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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