terminal

American  

[tur-muh-nl] / ˈtɜr mə nl /

adjective

1. situated at or forming the end or extremity of something.

   a terminal feature of a vista.

   Synonyms:

   ultimate, final

2. occurring at or forming the end of a series, succession, or the like; closing; concluding.

   Synonyms:

   ultimate, final

3. pertaining to or lasting for a term or definite period; occurring at fixed terms or in every term.

   terminal payments.

4. pertaining to, situated at, or forming the terminus of a railroad.

5. Botany. growing at the end of a branch or stem, as a bud or inflorescence.

6. Architecture. noting a figure, as a herm or term, in the form of a bust upon a gaine.

7. pertaining to or placed at a boundary, as a landmark.

8. occurring at or causing the end of life.

   a terminal disease.

   Synonyms:

   lethal, mortal, fatal

9. Informal. utterly beyond hope, rescue, or saving.

   The undercapitalized project is a terminal problem.

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noun

• terminals
  plural

1. a terminal part of a structure; end or extremity.

2. Railroads. a major assemblage of station, yard, maintenance, and repair facilities, as at a terminus, at which trains originate or terminate, or at which they are distributed or combined.

3. Computers. any device for entering information into a computer or receiving information from it, as a keyboard with video display unit, either adjoining the computer or at some distance from it.

4. a station on the line of a public carrier, as in a city center or at an airport, where passengers embark or disembark and where freight is received or discharged.

5. Electricity.

   1. the mechanical device by means of which an electric connection to an apparatus is established.

   2. the point of current entry to, or point of current departure from, any conducting component in an electric circuit.

6. Architecture.

   1. a herm or term.

   2. a carving or the like at the end of something, as a finial.

terminal British  

/ ˈtɜːmɪnəl /

adjective

1. of, being, or situated at an end, terminus, or boundary

   a terminal station

   terminal buds

2. of, relating to, or occurring after or in a term

   terminal leave

3. (of a disease) terminating in death

   terminal cancer

4. informal extreme

   terminal boredom

5. of or relating to the storage or delivery of freight at a warehouse

   a terminal service

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noun

1. a terminating point, part, or place

2. 1. a point at which current enters or leaves an electrical device, such as a battery or a circuit

   2. a conductor by which current enters or leaves at such a point

3. computing a device having input/output links with a computer but situated at a distance from the computer

4. architect

   1. an ornamental carving at the end of a structure

   2. another name for term

5. 1. a point or station usually at the end of the line of a railway, serving as an important access point for passengers or freight

   2. a less common name for terminus

6. a purpose-built reception and departure structure at the terminus of a bus, sea, or air transport route

7. a site where raw material is unloaded, stored, in some cases reprocessed, and reloaded for further transportation, esp an onshore installation designed to receive offshore oil or gas from tankers or a pipeline

8. physiol

   1. the smallest arteriole before its division into capillaries

   2. either of two veins that collect blood from the thalamus and surrounding structures and empty it into the internal cerebral vein

   3. the portion of a bronchiole just before it subdivides into the air sacs of the lungs

terminal Scientific  

/ tûr′mə-nəl /

1. A position in a circuit or device at which a connection can be made or broken.

2. See Note at battery

3. Computer Science A device, often equipped with a keyboard and a video display, by which one can read, enter, or manipulate information in a computer system.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interterminal
  adjective
• nonterminal
  adjective
• preterminal
  adjective
• subterminal
  adjective
• terminally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• terminals
  plural

Etymology

Origin of terminal

First recorded in 1480–90; late Middle English, from Latin terminālis, equivalent to termin(us) “end, limit” + -ālis -al ¹

Explanation

Terminal is a word with many meanings. Depending on how it's used, it can describe a place where passengers end their journey, a computer screen and keyboard, or a life-ending disease. As a noun, terminal describes a bus or train station at the end of the line. When your aunt takes the bus into town, you pick her up at the terminal. Her visit becomes very sad when your aunt tells you she's been diagnosed with an illness that's terminal — an adjective meaning she hasn't long to live. This is surprising news, since you've always believed your aunt is a hypochondriac. Now you have to go to your computer terminal and look up her disease.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

terminal terminals

Earlier this year, people started putting their credit cards in 3D-printed cases shaped like magic wands and filming themselves tapping the wand against a contactless payment terminal.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

Like most large international airports, Dulles has an internal train line to carry people from the terminal to the various concourses and back.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

At Narita, sleeping bags piled up as passengers slept all over the terminal, with massive lines forming for check-in across the airport.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

The Office star Lucy Davis has revealed she has terminal breast cancer, says the Daily Star.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

We reached the huge, bomb-gutted terminal in Berlin sometime after midnight.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Authorities have recommended measures including providing safer boats and life jackets, dredging waterways, deploying water guards at jetties and terminals, and ensuring boat operators are properly trained and licensed.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

The west London airport said 7.86m passengers passed through its four terminals in July, whereas Istanbul Airport in Turkey's largest city recorded 8.15m passengers.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Aramco said it maintained business continuity during the disruption by relying on its East-West Pipeline, storage capacity and export terminals, allowing it to sustain production and exports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Brandon Young, an attorney for De Becker’s firm, said that neither De Becker nor his firm has any active bids to develop or run terminals at any other airports.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

My mom had heard JFK was massive, and she was terrified to navigate the airport's terminals on her own.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi

Related Words

• fatal
• incurable
• lethal