delist

IPA/ˌdiːˈlɪst/
KK[dˌilˈɪst]IPA/ˌdiːˈlɪst/

delist — verb

  • delistpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • delistshe / she / it
  • delistedpast simple
  • delisting-ing form

1. to take a person, thing, or item off an official list, so that they are no longe

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to take a person, thing, or item off an official list, so that they are no longer included, recognised, or considered.

Example

The school delisted the old textbook from its approved reading list this year.

delist + direct object + from [list]

After the match-fixing scandal, the tennis federation delisted the player from all tournaments.

Common collocations
  • delist a product
  • delist a player / a team
  • delist a building / a site
  • delist from a register
  • delist from a programme
Synonyms
  • remove

    more general and common; does not specifically imply an official list

  • strike off

    British English, used for removing a name from a professional register

  • drop

    informal; suggests simply leaving something out without a formal process

Antonyms
  • list

    the opposite action — to include on a list

  • add

    general opposite; less specific to official listings

Grammar Patterns

delist + noun phrase from [list/register]

be delisted from [list]

Usage Note

Often used in the passive voice when describing the person or item that is removed (e.g. 'The player was delisted').

Common Mistakes

The teacher delisted the student from the exam.' (if meaning prevented from taking, not removed from a fixed register).
The teacher removed the student from the exam list.
'delist' implies removal from an official published list or registry, not simply preventing an action.
I delisted milk from my shopping list.' (too informal).
I took milk off my shopping list.
'delist' sounds unnatural with everyday personal lists; use 'remove' or 'take off' instead.

2. to stop a company's shares from being traded on a stock exchange, either at the

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to stop a company's shares from being traded on a stock exchange, either at the company's own request or because the exchange's rules are no longer satisfied.

Example

The retailer's shares were delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange after the bankruptcy filing.

passive: be delisted from [stock exchange]

Wei Holdings decided to voluntarily delist from the Singapore Exchange to save costs.

Common collocations
  • delist from the stock exchange
  • delist shares
  • delist a company
  • voluntarily delist
  • forced to delist
  • delisted securities
Synonyms
  • remove from trading

    descriptive phrase; more transparent than 'delist' for non-specialist readers

  • suspend

    temporary, unlike delisting which is usually permanent

Antonyms
  • list

    the opposite — to make shares available for trading on an exchange

  • float

    to list a company's shares on a stock exchange for the first time

Grammar Patterns

delist + noun phrase from [exchange]

[company/shares] delist(s) from [exchange]

be delisted from [exchange]

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive voice (shares are delisted). The subject may be the company (intransitive: 'the company delisted from the exchange') or the exchange itself (transitive: 'the exchange delisted the company'). Distinguish from sense 1 by the financial domain context.

Common Mistakes

The store delisted the product from its shelves.' (non-financial context).
The store removed the product from its shelves.
sense 1 is for lists and registers; this financial sense applies only to stock exchange trading.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

'Delist' is the standard term for permanently removing a company's shares from a stock exchange. 'Suspend' means trading is temporarily halted — shares may resume trading later if the company fixes the problem. 'Remove from trading' is a descriptive phrase that explains the meaning in plain language but is rarely used in official exchange documents. 'Cancel' can refer to cancelling a stock's listing altogether, though it is less formal and more common in non-financial contexts. For example: The exchange suspended trading in ABC Corp while it investigated irregularities, and a month later it delisted the company entirely.

delist ↗suspend ↗remove from tradingcancel ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • delist from the exchange
  • delist a security
  • be forced to delist
  • voluntarily delist

Prepositions

Etymology

Englishde- (prefix) + list (verb)

Formed in English by adding the prefix de- ('removal, reversal') to the verb list ('to enter on a list'). The general sense 'remove from a list' appeared in the mid-20th century, and the financial meaning 'remove a security from trading on an exchange' followed in the 1960s as stock markets expanded.