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• term
  term

  noun

  a word or group of words designating something, especially in a particular field, as atom in physics, quietism in theology, adze in carpentry, or district leader in politics.
• term.
  term.

  abbreviation

  terminal.

term

¹ American  

[turm] / tɜrm /

noun

• terms
  plural

1. a word or group of words designating something, especially in a particular field, as atom in physics, quietism in theology, adze in carpentry, or district leader in politics.

2. any word or group of words considered as a member of a construction or utterance.

3. the time or period through which something lasts.

4. a period of time to which limits have been set.

   elected for a term of four years.

5. one of two or more divisions of a school year, during which instruction is regularly provided.

6. an appointed or set time or date, as for the payment of rent, interest, wages, etc.

7. terms,

   1. conditions with regard to payment, price, charge, rates, wages, etc..

      reasonable terms.

   2. conditions or stipulations limiting what is proposed to be granted or done.

      the terms of a treaty.

   3. footing or standing; relations.

      on good terms with someone.

   4. Obsolete. state, situation, or circumstances.

8. Algebra, Arithmetic.

   1. each of the members of which an expression, a series of quantities, or the like, is composed, as one of two or more parts of an algebraic expression.

   2. a mathematical expression of the form axp, axpyq, etc., where a, p, and q are numbers and x and y are variables.

9. Logic.

   1. the subject or predicate of a categorical proposition.

   2. the word or expression denoting the subject or predicate of a categorical proposition.

10. Also called terminus.  a figure, especially of Terminus, in the form of a herm, used by the ancient Romans as a boundary marker; terminal figure.

11. Law.

    1. an estate or interest in land or the like, to be enjoyed for a fixed period.

    2. the duration of an estate.

    3. each of the periods during which certain courts of law hold their sessions.

12. completion of pregnancy; parturition.

13. Archaic.

    1. end, conclusion, or termination.

    2. boundary or limit.

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verb (used with object)

• terms,
  present (3rd person singular)
• termed,
  past participle,  past
• terming
  present participle

1. to apply a particular term or name to; name; call; designate.

idioms

1. bring to terms, to force to agree to stated demands or conditions; bring into submission.

   After a long struggle, we brought them to terms.

2. come to terms,

   1. to reach an agreement; make an arrangement.

      to come to terms with a creditor.

   2. to become resigned or accustomed.

      to come to terms with one's life.

3. eat one's terms, to study for the bar; be a law student.

4. in terms of, with regard to; concerning.

   The book offers nothing in terms of a satisfactory conclusion.

term. ² American  

abbreviation

1. terminal.

2. termination.

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term British  

/ tɜːm /

noun

1. a name, expression, or word used for some particular thing, esp in a specialized field of knowledge

   a medical term

2. any word or expression

3. a limited period of time

   his second term of office

   a prison term

4. any of the divisions of the academic year during which a school, college, etc, is in session

5. a point in time determined for an event or for the end of a period

6. Also called: full term.  the period at which childbirth is imminent

7. law

   1. an estate or interest in land limited to run for a specified period

      a term of years

   2. the duration of an estate, etc

   3. (formerly) a period of time during which sessions of courts of law were held

   4. time allowed to a debtor to settle

8. maths either of the expressions the ratio of which is a fraction or proportion, any of the separate elements of a sequence, or any of the individual addends of a polynomial or series

9. logic

   1. the word or phrase that forms either the subject or predicate of a proposition

   2. a name or variable, as opposed to a predicate

   3. one of the relata of a relation

   4. any of the three subjects or predicates occurring in a syllogism

10. Also called: terminal.   terminus.   terminal figure.  architect a sculptured post, esp one in the form of an armless bust or an animal on the top of a square pillar

11. Australian rules football the usual word for quarter

12. archaic a boundary or limit

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verb

1. (tr) to designate; call

   he was termed a thief

term Scientific  

/ tûrm /

1. Each of the quantities or expressions that form the parts of a ratio or the numerator and denominator of a fraction.

2. Any of the quantities in an equation that are connected to other quantities by a plus sign or a minus sign.

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Usage

What is a term? In algebra, a term is an individual number or variable or a combination of them, such as 7, x, or 5y. In a similar way, a term is also a word or a group of words, especially those that belong to a specific field. For example, modifier is a grammar term used to describe a word or phrase that limits or qualifies something else. A term can also be any word or phrase. We use term in these articles to describe the word or phrase we’re talking about (check out “Where does term come from?” below for an example). Its plural form, terms, can refer to a set of rules or conditions, such as the terms for repaying a loan or the terms for a truce. To term something is to name or designate something, as in Rainey termed her mother’s angry look the “Rainey Is in Trouble” look. Term can also do with time. Any period of time with a beginning and an end can be called a term. A division of a school year is often called a term, as is the period a politician serves in a specific office. A US president serves a term of four years and can only serve two terms, for example. Example: Always read the terms of service before signing on to a new service.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• half-term
  noun
• misterm
  verb (used with object)
• interterm
  adjective
• termly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• terms
  plural

Participles

• terming
  present
• termed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• term
  simple
• terms
  simple
• have termed
  perfect
• has termed
  perfect
• am terming
  progressive
• are terming
  progressive
• is terming
  progressive
• have been terming
  perfect progressive
• has been terming
  perfect progressive

Past

• termed
  simple
• had termed
  perfect
• was terming
  progressive
• were terming
  progressive
• had been terming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will term
  simple
• will have termed
  perfect
• will be terming
  progressive
• will have been terming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of term

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English terme, from Old French, from Latin terminus “boundary, limit, end”; akin to Greek térmōn “limit”

Explanation

A term is a word or expression used with a particular meaning. "Rap," "punk," "grunge," and "heavy metal" are terms that describe particular styles of music. "Sweetie" is a term of endearment, at least to most people. Terms can also mean the conditions of an agreement: when you rent an apartment, you agree to certain terms — that you'll pay the rent, you won't have loud parties, etc. If you're "on good terms with someone," you like each other. Term can also be a defined period of time. Spring term at school is the spring semester, and you may be assigned a term paper — to demonstrate how brilliant you've become during that time period.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

term term. terms termed terming

It is in stark contrast to last term, when the Paisley side flirted with relegation, coming through a play-off to retain their top-flight status.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

The material differs so greatly from conventional quantum materials that the researchers created a new term for it: the quantum statistical plasmonic metacrystal.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

Yet over his eight year term, Spain’s grant rate for asylum seekers has dropped from 35% to 12%—far below many other countries, including the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Starting a year ago, the court itself began to employ the term biological sex in equal-protection decisions in which transgender claimants challenged laws imposing requirements for gender-affirming care, passport identification, and participation in sports.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

In this book, I use the term enslaved person instead of slave when referring to individuals who, under the laws of the day, were the legal property of other people.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Although Donald Trump has acknowledged being aware of the term “America First” and its historical context, he has nevertheless called it “a brand-new modern term. I never related it to the past.”

From Salon ● May 21, 2026

Industrial construction “costs less overall but costs more in the short term. Everything is frontloaded,” said Jan Lindenthal-Cox, chief investment officer at the San Francisco Housing Accelerator Fund.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026

"It's short term. Celtic are probably stunned at the news Brendan left. They are obviously seeking a permanent manager, so it's a short-term fit," said O'Neill, who has brought in Shaun Maloney to assist him.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2025

“I would say we’re really focused on the long term. Trust and safety bets can often involve short-term trade offs on the business side,” Roth said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025

“You didn’t put in your best this term. You came second because you chose to.”

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A homeless man and someone with severe autism have reportedly been handed jail terms for throwing cigarette butts.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Smaller providers without the capital SpaceX can afford to throw around may struggle to source power on good terms, Bernstein said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026

Meanwhile, children increasingly describe their own experience of the apps in diagnostic terms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Iran’s government and military would manage navigation and traffic, Fars reported, saying those terms were included in draft legislation being reviewed by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

By the time Uncle Kufa returned several hours later, the madness had lifted and everyone was on speaking terms again.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

To the public, Greenspan was known for his impenetrably cryptic speaking style and for the relative tranquility in the American economy during his tenure, which has been termed “the great moderation” despite recurrent short-term crises.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

It’s not “human cockfighting,” as John McCain termed it in 1996 while pushing for a ban on the sport—preliminary research suggests that both football and boxing cause more brain damage than MMA.

From Slate ● Jun. 14, 2026

Asked about Burnham's ambitions, Lord Hermer refused to engage in what he termed speculation.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

Predicting the weather over the next 72 hours, Krick favors what might generously be termed a historically informed approach and what might ungenerously be dubbed barmy pseudoscience.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

This kind of science has been termed “neuroeconomics,” a subset of which is known as “delay discounting.”

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Durazo is running for the District 1 seat held by Supervisor Hilda Solis, who is terming out after more than a decade on the board.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

With Councilmember Curren Price terming out in District 9, six candidates are vying to represent parts of downtown and South L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2026

In District 3, which covers the southwestern San Fernando Valley including Woodland Hills, Tarzana and Reseda, City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield is terming out, leaving the field open.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2026

But the law has drawn sharp criticism from motorists and opposition groups, terming it a burden on taxpayers.

From BBC ● May 27, 2025

In fact, by terming it a 'problem', I perhaps overstate the matter.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Related Words

• course
• duration
• phase
• quarter
• session
• time