a word or group of words designating something, especially in a particular field, as atom in physics, quietism in theology, adze in carpentry, or district leader in politics.
any word or group of words considered as a member of a construction or utterance.
the time or period through which something lasts.
a period of time to which limits have been set.
elected for a term of four years.
one of two or more divisions of a school year, during which instruction is regularly provided.
an appointed or set time or date, as for the payment of rent, interest, wages, etc.
terms,
conditions with regard to payment, price, charge, rates, wages, etc..
reasonable terms.
conditions or stipulations limiting what is proposed to be granted or done.
the terms of a treaty.
footing or standing; relations.
on good terms with someone.
Obsolete. state, situation, or circumstances.
Algebra, Arithmetic.
each of the members of which an expression, a series of quantities, or the like, is composed, as one of two or more parts of an algebraic expression.
a mathematical expression of the form axp, axpyq, etc., where a, p, and q are numbers and x and y are variables.
Logic.
the subject or predicate of a categorical proposition.
the word or expression denoting the subject or predicate of a categorical proposition.
Also called terminus. a figure, especially of Terminus, in the form of a herm, used by the ancient Romans as a boundary marker; terminal figure.
Law.
an estate or interest in land or the like, to be enjoyed for a fixed period.
the duration of an estate.
each of the periods during which certain courts of law hold their sessions.
completion of pregnancy; parturition.
Archaic.
end, conclusion, or termination.
boundary or limit.
bring to terms, to force to agree to stated demands or conditions; bring into submission.
After a long struggle, we brought them to terms.
come to terms,
to reach an agreement; make an arrangement.
to come to terms with a creditor.
to become resigned or accustomed.
to come to terms with one's life.
eat one's terms, to study for the bar; be a law student.
in terms of, with regard to; concerning.
The book offers nothing in terms of a satisfactory conclusion.
terminal.
termination.
a name, expression, or word used for some particular thing, esp in a specialized field of knowledge
a medical term
any word or expression
a limited period of time
his second term of office
a prison term
any of the divisions of the academic year during which a school, college, etc, is in session
a point in time determined for an event or for the end of a period
Also called: full term. the period at which childbirth is imminent
law
an estate or interest in land limited to run for a specified period
a term of years
the duration of an estate, etc
(formerly) a period of time during which sessions of courts of law were held
time allowed to a debtor to settle
maths either of the expressions the ratio of which is a fraction or proportion, any of the separate elements of a sequence, or any of the individual addends of a polynomial or series
logic
the word or phrase that forms either the subject or predicate of a proposition
a name or variable, as opposed to a predicate
one of the relata of a relation
any of the three subjects or predicates occurring in a syllogism
Also called: terminal. terminus. terminal figure. architect a sculptured post, esp one in the form of an armless bust or an animal on the top of a square pillar
Australian rules football the usual word for quarter
archaic a boundary or limit
Each of the quantities or expressions that form the parts of a ratio or the numerator and denominator of a fraction.
Any of the quantities in an equation that are connected to other quantities by a plus sign or a minus sign.
What is a term? In algebra, a term is an individual number or variable or a combination of them, such as 7, x, or 5y. In a similar way, a term is also a word or a group of words, especially those that belong to a specific field. For example, modifier is a grammar term used to describe a word or phrase that limits or qualifies something else. A term can also be any word or phrase. We use term in these articles to describe the word or phrase we’re talking about (check out “Where does term come from?” below for an example). Its plural form, terms, can refer to a set of rules or conditions, such as the terms for repaying a loan or the terms for a truce. To term something is to name or designate something, as in Rainey termed her mother’s angry look the “Rainey Is in Trouble” look. Term can also do with time. Any period of time with a beginning and an end can be called a term. A division of a school year is often called a term, as is the period a politician serves in a specific office. A US president serves a term of four years and can only serve two terms, for example. Example: Always read the terms of service before signing on to a new service.
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English terme, from Old French, from Latin terminus “boundary, limit, end”; akin to Greek térmōn “limit”
A term is a word or expression used with a particular meaning. "Rap," "punk," "grunge," and "heavy metal" are terms that describe particular styles of music. "Sweetie" is a term of endearment, at least to most people. Terms can also mean the conditions of an agreement: when you rent an apartment, you agree to certain terms — that you'll pay the rent, you won't have loud parties, etc. If you're "on good terms with someone," you like each other. Term can also be a defined period of time. Spring term at school is the spring semester, and you may be assigned a term paper — to demonstrate how brilliant you've become during that time period.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You know how you supposedly “can’t beat the market” over the long term?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
In order for customers to receive a payout, they must have enrolled in and paid for at least one renewal term of a YouTube TV subscription between Feb. 1, 2017, and Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
A slang term for cash money is “dead presidents.”
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Moreover, one expert I spoke with, Sarah Taber, a small farmer and crop scientist, describes FoodNet as a “long term library of disease data,” not a reactive tool that’s useful in real time.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
At the end of the winter term, you will turn in your project.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Although Donald Trump has acknowledged being aware of the term “America First” and its historical context, he has nevertheless called it “a brand-new modern term. I never related it to the past.”
From Salon ● May 21, 2026
“Our goal is clear: we want the inflation rate to return to 2% again in the medium term. We are aligning our monetary policy course accordingly.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
“Tariffs will have a little impact for us short term. Long term, we’re going to have manufacturing onshore.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2025
She replied: "I meant it in more of a psychological term. I feel like I’m hurting others just by existing."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2024
“Fine, Brother, fine. In fact, I thought ... I mean, I was aiming for high honors this term. But now, this F ...” “I know,” the teacher said, shaking his head sorrowfully, in commiseration.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
In terms of longer-term trends Abouhossein argues that investment banking generally is transforming as a business model from a heavy emphasis on balance sheet and inventory, to something lighter and more geared to best-execution practices.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Japan currently already has terms for days over 25C, 30C and 35C.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Both Disney and Heinz declined to comment on the financial terms of the deal, but a Heinz spokesperson said it is Disney’s “highest level of partnership” and designed to be an ongoing effort.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
It is playful and slightly unorthodox, especially if, in your childhood household, “soup” meant both vegetables and heat, but it is refreshing in terms of both effort and final product.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
Slavery is often depicted only in terms of the work that was done for masters.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
It’s not “human cockfighting,” as John McCain termed it in 1996 while pushing for a ban on the sport—preliminary research suggests that both football and boxing cause more brain damage than MMA.
From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2026
Asked about Burnham's ambitions, Lord Hermer refused to engage in what he termed speculation.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Prosecutors had asked for a stiff sentence for what they termed a “massive fraud” that involved hundreds of thousands of victims.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
One commentator termed this stock melt-up the “bliss trade.”
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
The dominant member, who is almost always a male, is termed the ‘alpha male’.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
With Councilmember Curren Price terming out in District 9, six candidates are vying to represent parts of downtown and South L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2026
It’s an outcome so humiliating that baseball even has a name for it, terming three strikeouts in one game as earning that player a “silver sombrero.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2025
But Ramaphosa said those who wanted to leave were not happy with efforts to address the inequities of the apartheid past, terming their relocation a "sad moment for them".
From BBC ● May 14, 2025
Last month, Ms Le Roux expressed her excitement about the chance to represent South Africa on the Miss Universe stage terming it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my voice to be heard".
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2024
In fact, by terming it a 'problem', I perhaps overstate the matter.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
