terminus

American  

[tur-muh-nuhs] / ˈtɜr mə nəs /

noun

plural

termini, terminuses

1. the end or extremity of anything.

2. either end of a railroad line.

3. British. the station or the town at the end of a railway or bus route.

4. the point toward which anything tends; goal or end.

5. a boundary or limit.

6. a boundary post or stone.

7. (initial capital letter) the ancient Roman god of boundaries and landmarks.

8. term.

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terminus ¹ British  

/ ˈtɜːmɪnəs /

noun

1. the last or final part or point

2. either end of a railway, bus route, etc, or a station or town at such a point

3. a goal aimed for

4. a boundary or boundary marker

5. architect another name for term

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Terminus ² British  

/ ˈtɜːmɪnəs /

noun

1. the Roman god of boundaries

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Etymology

Origin of terminus

1545–55; < Latin: boundary, limit, end

Explanation

Consider terminus the end of the line. Whether it describes a train station, a goal, or an era — terminus refers to something’s final point. Ancient Romans worshiped Terminus as the god of boundaries, even performing sacrifices in his honor to bless objects that marked borders. You probably don’t have to go that far if you just want to use the noun terminus. You can use it as a weighty way to indicate something is at the end of the line, such as the last stop on a bus or train route. It most often refers to the end of a transportation route, but it can also be used more generally to mark the end point of other things — such as a marriage or a project.

Example Sentences

For this reason, it has grown into an important oil-loading and ship fuel-supplying hub and is the terminus for the Abu Dhabi crude oil pipeline.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

For the surface versions, the peptide was attached at either the N terminus or the C terminus, a subtle difference that can influence how immune cells recognize and process it.

From Science Daily • Feb. 18, 2026

The long gold bull market appeared like it could be near its terminus.

From Barron's • Dec. 16, 2025

The early-evening service had set off from the Yorkshire city of Doncaster and was heading south toward the British capital’s King’s Cross terminus when the attack began.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

A notion crept over her like a shadow: that this station was not the start of the line but its terminus.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead