ending
Americannoun
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a bringing or coming to an end; termination; close.
Putting away the Christmas ornaments marked the ending of the season.
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the final or concluding part; conclusion.
a story with a happy ending.
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death; destruction.
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Grammar. a morpheme, especially an inflection, at the end of a word, as -s in cuts.
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(not in technical use) any final word part, as the -ow of widow.
noun
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the act of bringing to or reaching an end
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the last part of something, as a book, film, etc
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the final part of a word, esp a suffix
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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
- unending adjective
- unendingly adverb
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
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Common Core Grade 5, List 3
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Reading: Literature - Introductory
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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.
Orix expects a gain of Y124 billion on the sale, equivalent to around a third of annual earnings in the FY ending March 2024 and 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
But the premature ending to his first postseason appearance was “uncalled for,” James said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
A growth figure of 21.2% is penciled in for the three months ending in June, with a full-year gain of around 20.4% holding firm.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
Planned U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan were canceled over the weekend, leaving the next steps toward ending the conflict uncertain.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026
I did a complete somersault and went whiskers over teacup, ending up on my back, facing the wrong way.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
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.
