terminate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bring to an end; put an end to.
to terminate a contract.
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to occur at or form the conclusion of.
The countess's soliloquy terminates the play.
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to bound or limit spatially; form or be situated at the extremity of.
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to dismiss from a job; fire.
to terminate employees during a recession.
verb (used without object)
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to end, conclude, or cease.
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(of a train, bus, or other public conveyance) to end a scheduled run at a certain place.
This train terminates in New York.
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to come to an end (often followed by at, in, orwith ).
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to issue or result (usually followed byin ).
verb
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to form, be, or put an end (to); conclude
to terminate a pregnancy
their relationship terminated amicably
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(tr) to connect (suitable circuitry) to the end of an electrical transmission line to absorb the energy and avoid reflections
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(intr) maths (of a decimal expansion) to have only a finite number of digits
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slang (tr) to kill (someone)
Other Word Forms
- nonterminative adjective
- nonterminatively adverb
- self-terminating adjective
- self-terminative adjective
- terminative adjective
- terminatively adverb
- terminatory adjective
- unterminated adjective
- unterminating adjective
- unterminative adjective
Etymology
Origin of terminate
1580–90; verbal use of late Middle English terminate (adjective) “limited,” from Latin terminātus, past participle of termināre. See term, -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I was then terminated and told to leave the building. I wasn't allowed to contact anyone," she recalls.
From BBC
Busfield's lawyers have said the actor was being accused as an act of revenge after the children had been terminated from the series, which angered their mother.
From BBC
So first and foremost, respect your cleaning lady by being honest and terminate the professional relationship — and also stay true to your own convictions and respect your relationship with yourself.
From MarketWatch
The government said that Lewandowski had terminated his contracts before taking office.
From Barron's
Earlier on Tuesday it was disclosed that Mr Flatley has now formally terminated his contract with the firm over staging Lord of the Dance.
From BBC
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.
