decommission

[/ˌdiːkəˈmɪʃən/]
verb
desativar
1. to officially take something out of service or operation, especially military equipment, ships, or nuclear facilities
The military decided to decommission the old battleship after 50 years of service.
O exército decidiu desativar o velho navio de guerra após 50 anos de serviço.
2. to shut down or retire equipment that is no longer needed or functional
The company will decommission the outdated manufacturing plant next year.
A empresa desativará a fábrica de manufatura obsoleta no próximo ano.
3. to remove from active duty or operational status
Several nuclear power plants were decommissioned due to safety concerns.
Várias usinas nucleares foram desativadas devido a preocupações de segurança.
The term 'decommission' is commonly used in both American and Brazilian English when discussing military vessels, nuclear facilities, and industrial equipment. In Brazil, it's particularly relevant in discussions about aging infrastructure, power plants, and government asset management. The Portuguese term 'desativar' is the standard equivalent across both Brazil and Portugal, while military contexts may use the more formal 'dar baixa' or 'aposentar'.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
retireshut downtake offlinemothballdisablediscontinue
Antonyms / Antônimos
commissionactivatelaunchdeployimplementstart up

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
desativar
most common translation; widely understood in all contexts
General Brazilian
aposentar
used metaphorically, especially for equipment or machinery being retired
Portugal
desativar
standard Portuguese translation with the same meaning
Technical/Military
dar baixa
used in military and bureaucratic contexts meaning to officially remove from records

Related Words

commissionoperationserviceequipmentfacilityretirement

Related Idioms & Phrases

put out to pasture (informal equivalent)
take something offline
retire from service
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