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Prepositions after verbs

Discharge from, in, by, on or to?

Discharge is used with different prepositions depending on the meaning. The most common patterns are discharge from a place or duty and discharge to a destination.

Quick answer

Which prepositions go with discharge?

Use discharge from for removal or release from a place, job, duty, or hospital. Use discharge to for sending someone to a destination. Use discharge by when describing a method, especially in legal or financial contexts. Discharge in is uncommon after the verb itself and usually introduces a separate place phrase. Discharge on is rare and usually belongs to another structure, not directly to the verb.

She was discharged from the hospital yesterday.
The patient was discharged to a rehabilitation centre.
The debt was discharged by full payment.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
discharge from + place or duty

Leaving or removing someone from something

Use discharge from when someone leaves or is removed from a hospital, military service, employment, or responsibility.

He was discharged from military service.
The patient was discharged from intensive care.
2
discharge to + destination

Sending someone to another place

Use discharge to when someone is sent or released to a destination after treatment or care.

She was discharged to a nursing facility.
The hospital discharged him to home care.
3
discharge by + method

Showing how an obligation is completed

Use discharge by mainly in formal or legal English to describe the method used to settle an obligation.

The contract was discharged by mutual agreement.
The debt was discharged by payment.
4
discharge in + place

Referring to location rather than verb complementation

Discharge in is usually not a fixed verb-preposition combination. In often introduces a separate place phrase.

The factory discharged waste in the river.
The pipe discharged water in large quantities.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
discharge from
She was discharged from the clinic.
released or removed from a place, role, or duty
discharge to
The patient was discharged to a care home.
sent or released to a destination
discharge by
The obligation was discharged by payment.
completed through a method or action
discharge in
The plant discharged chemicals in the lake.
in introduces a location; it is not usually the selected preposition of discharge
discharge on
The company discharged waste on nearby land.
possible with a surface or target location, but on usually functions as a place adjunct rather than a fixed verb pattern

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using in instead of from for release

Use from when someone leaves a hospital, prison, or service.

✕ She was discharged in the hospital yesterday. ✓ She was discharged from the hospital yesterday.

Confusing to and from

Use to for the destination after discharge.

✕ The patient was discharged from a rehabilitation centre. ✓ The patient was discharged to a rehabilitation centre.

Using on as a general partner

Discharge on is not a common general pattern after the verb.

✕ He was discharged on the company. ✓ He was discharged from the company.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The soldier was discharged ___ active duty.
2. After surgery, she was discharged ___ home care.
3. The debt was discharged ___ full payment.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say discharge from hospital without the?

Yes. In British English, both discharge from hospital and discharge from the hospital are common.

Is discharge to used only in medicine?

It is most common in medical contexts, especially when patients are sent to another facility or home care.

Is discharge in incorrect?

Not always. In often introduces a place phrase, but it is usually not the main preposition selected by discharge.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

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