termination

American  

[tur-muh-ney-shuhn] / ˌtɜr məˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of terminating

2. the fact of being terminated.

3. the place or part where anything terminates; bound or limit.

4. an end or extremity; close or conclusion.

5. an issue or result.

6. Grammar. a suffix or ending.

7. an ending of employment with a specific employer.

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termination British  

/ ˌtɜːmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of terminating or the state of being terminated

2. something that terminates

3. a final result

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Usage

What does termination mean? Termination is the act of bringing something to an end or the physical end of something. Termination is the noun form of the verb terminate, meaning to bring an end to. It also means to fire someone from a job, and termination is perhaps most commonly used as a way to refer to this process or its result, as in His employment with the company ended in termination. Example: The termination of the program last year hurt the many people who relied on its benefits.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• terminational
  adjective
• unterminational
  adjective
• nontermination
  noun

Etymology

Origin of termination

1400–50; late Middle English terminacion < Latin terminātiōn- (stem of terminātiō ) decision. See terminate, -ion

Explanation

Whether it refers to getting fired from a job, a contract running out, or the assassination of a deep-cover spy, termination is "the end of the line." You may be familiar with a certain time-traveling cyborg assassin, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. His character was a "terminator," in a movie of the same name, and his goal was the termination of Sarah Connor. Lucky for Sarah, and the supposed future of our planet, the termination was unsuccessful. In the real world, you're more likely to see the word termination used when a contract, program, or job comes to an end, unexpectedly or as planned.

Example Sentences

Upon a Termination Event, any of the Parties’ unused embryos shall continue to be stored and neither Party shall use the embryos for any purpose without the written consent of the other Party.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Termination was never automatic after 13 strikes, and there was no evidence Cox ever terminated a subscriber’s account without reactivating it.

From Slate • Nov. 28, 2025

"Termination day is relatively meaningless due to snapback," Arms Control Association expert Kelsey Davenport told AFP.

From Barron's • Oct. 18, 2025

Termination notices went out to 150 NBC News Group employees Wednesday as the financial health of the traditional television business continues to erode.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2025

Travels of Mungo Park, with the Account of his Death, from the Journal of Isaaco, and later Discoveries relative to his lamented Fate, and the Termination of the Niger. 18mo, Cloth, 50 cents.

From Captain Brand of the "Centipede" A Pirate of Eminence in the West Indies: His Love and Exploits, Together with Some Account of the Singular Manner by Which He Departed This Life by Wise, H. A. (Henry Augustus)

Related Words

• completion
• expiry