terminate

[ tur-muh-neyt ]

/ ˈtɜr məˌneɪt /

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See synonyms for: terminate / terminated / terminating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), ter·mi·nat·ed, ter·mi·nat·ing.

to bring to an end; put an end to: to terminate a contract.

to occur at or form the conclusion of: The countess's soliloquy terminates the play.

to bound or limit spatially; form or be situated at the extremity of.

to dismiss from a job; fire: to terminate employees during a recession.

verb (used without object), ter·mi·nat·ed, ter·mi·nat·ing.

to end, conclude, or cease.

(of a train, bus, or other public conveyance) to end a scheduled run at a certain place: This train terminates in New York.

to come to an end (often followed by at, in, or with).

to issue or result (usually followed by in).

OTHER WORDS FOR terminate

1, 2 end, finish, conclude, close, complete.

See synonyms for terminate on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of terminate

1580–90; verbal use of late Middle English terminate (adjective) “limited,” from Latin terminātus, past participle of termināre. See term, -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM terminate

ter·mi·na·tive, adjectiveter·mi·na·tive·ly, adverbnon·ter·mi·na·tive, adjectivenon·ter·mi·na·tive·ly, adverb

self-ter·mi·nat·ing, adjectiveself-ter·mi·na·tive, adjectiveun·ter·mi·nat·ed, adjectiveun·ter·mi·nat·ing, adjectiveun·ter·mi·na·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use terminate in a sentence

We see detoxing as a path to transcendence, a symbol of modern urban virtue and self-transformation through abstinence.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Stephanie Giorgio, a classical musician, credits The Class for helping her cope with anxiety, focus, fear, and self-doubt.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For someone with anorexia, self-starvation makes them feel better.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I went into the audition as Fericito, the Venezuelan percussionist, and then I did a self-defense expert.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Those who come to the Dinner Party are self-selecting; they do want to talk about it.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Let the thought of self pass in, and the beauty of great action is gone, like the bloom from a soiled flower.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
Now this setting up of an orderly law-abiding self seems to me to imply that there are impulses which make for order.
Children's Ways|James Sully
At present, Louis was too self-absorbed by the struggles within him, to look deep into what was passing around him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
But to wave this discourse of Heathens, how many self-contradicting principles are there held among Christians?
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
Jean grinned and dribbled self-consciously, and showed his two little teeth to the proudest father in the world.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke

British Dictionary definitions for terminate

terminate

/ (ˈtɜːmɪˌneɪt) /

verb

(when intr, often foll by in or with) to form, be, or put an end (to); concludeto terminate a pregnancy; their relationship terminated amicably

(tr) to connect (suitable circuitry) to the end of an electrical transmission line to absorb the energy and avoid reflections

(intr) maths (of a decimal expansion) to have only a finite number of digits

(tr) slang to kill (someone)

Derived forms of terminate

terminative, adjectiveterminatory, adjective

Word Origin for terminate

C16: from Latin terminātus limited, from termināre to set boundaries, from terminus end

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

terminate

OTHER WORDS FOR terminate

Origin of terminate

OTHER WORDS FROM terminate

Words related to terminate

How to use terminate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for terminate

Derived forms of terminate

Word Origin for terminate