cerrar sesión
verbCEFR B1
What does “cerrar sesión” mean in English?
to log out of a digital account or platform; antonym: iniciar sesión; important in shared-device security contexts
Example sentences
Cuando uses un ordenador compartido en la biblioteca, no olvides cerrar sesión antes de irte para que nadie acceda a tu cuenta.
When you use a shared computer in the library, don't forget to log out before you leave so nobody can access your account.
¿Has cerrado sesión en todos los dispositivos? A veces quedas conectado sin darte cuenta.
Have you logged out of all devices? Sometimes you stay logged in without realising.
La aplicación cierra la sesión automáticamente si llevas más de treinta minutos sin ninguna actividad.
The app logs you out automatically if you have been inactive for more than thirty minutes.
How to use it
Cerrar sesión is the native-Spanish phrase for 'to log out'. It is the direct antonym of iniciar sesión and follows the same grammatical pattern. In shared-device contexts it is a security obligation, and the imperative cierra sesión / cerrad sesión is a common instruction in cybersecurity advice. The anglicism desloguearse or logout (as a verb) is informal only. Note the stem-change: cerrar has an e→ie change in the present (cierro, cierras, cierra) but the phrase sesión is uninflected.
Common mistake
The stem-change in cerrar (e→ie) affects the conjugated forms but not the infinitive: cerrar sesión (infinitive — no change); cierra sesión (3sg present — stem change). The article is again typically omitted in the fixed phrase — cierra sesión, not *cierra la sesión. Pair this with iniciar sesión as a complementary set.