Dismissal is when a court terminates a legal proceeding. In other words, it is when a court ceases the progression of a case and no further progress is made. A case may face dismissal if the plaintiff fails to cooperate with a court order or for other reasons. There are two types of dismissal: dismissal with prejudice, which means that the plaintiff cannot refile the case; and a dismissal without prejudice, which means the plaintiff is free to refile the case at a later date.
From time to time, a judge may deem it necessary to end a legal proceeding before it starts or at any time before it ends. There are a number of reasons why this could happen. For example, the issue may get resolved before the case even makes it to trial. This could happen if a defendant confesses or if a settlement occurs. Whatever the case may be, if the judge sees fit to end the proceeding before it goes to trial, then it is a dismissal. A dismissal can also refer to an employee who is fired.