ending
Americannoun
-
endings
plural
-
a bringing or coming to an end; termination; close.
Putting away the Christmas ornaments marked the ending of the season.
-
the final or concluding part; conclusion.
a story with a happy ending.
-
death; destruction.
-
Grammar. a morpheme, especially an inflection, at the end of a word, as -s in cuts.
-
(not in technical use) any final word part, as the -ow of widow.
noun
-
the act of bringing to or reaching an end
-
the last part of something, as a book, film, etc
-
the final part of a word, esp a suffix
-
chess another word for endgame
Usage
What is an ending? An ending is a conclusion, as in I like stories with a happy ending. An ending is also a time when something is finishing or nearing completion, as in I’m ending my school career with all As. An ending is the opposite of a beginning and is used to mean the conclusion of something. Movies have endings. So do civilizations, like the Roman Empire. We even sometimes refer to a person’s death as an ending. Endings and the reasons or events surrounding them are often intensely studied or debated. Example: I liked the book until the terrible ending where the villain won in the last chapter.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ending
First recorded before 1000; Middle English endyng, Old English endung; equivalent to end 1 + -ing 1
Vocabulary lists containing ending
Common Core Grade 6, List 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Common Core Grade 5, List 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Reading: Literature - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The Dodgers are one loss from an abrupt ending to their season, and from a National League Championship Series sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
According to the Labor Department, consumer prices rose by 3.7 percent over the year ending in September—a sharper rate of increase than the month before.
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
On X, Kundizeza said he was heartened by "the numerous messages of solidarity from fellow writers and readers", ending his message by saying: "Most importantly, I will continue to write."
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
They swung at nine of them, ending with outfielder Jackson Chourio’s walk-off single.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The story had a funny ending because it turned out the ghost wasn’t a ghost at all.
From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney
Even the endings feel like save points, with Alice respawning at the start of each consecutive movie with another mutated monkey on her back.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
And it will shift depending on how one reacts, as there are multiple endings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Alongside the pearled axons, they found evidence of ultrafast endocytosis, a process through which nerve endings quickly retrieve membrane after releasing chemical messages.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
He points to cult TV shows whose endings have divided fans - like The Sopranos, Dexter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
“Everyone likes those kinds of endings, don't they? We'll see each other again. I know we will,” Julia said.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
