terminate

[ tur-muh-neyt ]
See synonyms for terminate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),ter·mi·nat·ed, ter·mi·nat·ing.
  1. to bring to an end; put an end to: to terminate a contract.

  2. to occur at or form the conclusion of: The countess's soliloquy terminates the play.

  1. to bound or limit spatially; form or be situated at the extremity of.

  2. to dismiss from a job; fire: to terminate employees during a recession.

verb (used without object),ter·mi·nat·ed, ter·mi·nat·ing.
  1. to end, conclude, or cease.

  2. (of a train, bus, or other public conveyance) to end a scheduled run at a certain place: This train terminates in New York.

  1. to come to an end (often followed by at, in, or with).

  2. to issue or result (usually followed by in).

Origin of terminate

1
1580–90; verbal use of late Middle English terminate (adjective) “limited,” from Latin terminātus, past participle of termināre. See term, -ate1

Other words for terminate

Other words from terminate

  • ter·mi·na·tive, adjective
  • ter·mi·na·tive·ly, adverb
  • non·ter·mi·na·tive, adjective
  • non·ter·mi·na·tive·ly, adverb
  • self-ter·mi·nat·ing, adjective
  • self-ter·mi·na·tive, adjective
  • un·ter·mi·nat·ed, adjective
  • un·ter·mi·nat·ing, adjective
  • un·ter·mi·na·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use terminate in a sentence

  • After the formal proclamation was issued the function terminated with a banquet given to 200 insurgent notabilities.

    The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
  • He gave to every syllable the value of a rap and certain words he terminated with an audible snap of his teeth.

    Dope | Sax Rohmer
  • This article may at any time be terminated on six monthsʼ notice given by either Government to the other.

    The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
  • On the 22d August, one of the plants having been accidentally injured, the experiment was terminated.

  • The royalist expedition against Quiberon, assisted by English munitions and money, terminated disastrously for the royal cause.

British Dictionary definitions for terminate

terminate

/ (ˈtɜːmɪˌneɪt) /


verb
  1. (when intr, often foll by in or with) to form, be, or put an end (to); conclude: to terminate a pregnancy; their relationship terminated amicably

  2. (tr) to connect (suitable circuitry) to the end of an electrical transmission line to absorb the energy and avoid reflections

  1. (intr) maths (of a decimal expansion) to have only a finite number of digits

  2. (tr) slang to kill (someone)

Origin of terminate

1
C16: from Latin terminātus limited, from termināre to set boundaries, from terminus end

Derived forms of terminate

  • terminative, adjective
  • terminatory, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012