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

He cites one layman’s description of the transformative experience: “I can dive in with a long face and what feels like a terminal case of depression, and come out a whistling idiot.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026

The software sector has “cleanly” split in two, Materne added, and a widening gap in how investors view the terminal value of different companies has created “one of the widest intrasector performance spreads on record.”

From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026

Rep. Neal Dunn, a 73-year-old Florida Republican who has an undisclosed terminal illness, won’t be casting votes unless House leaders need him to, the outlet Punchbowl News reported today.

From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026

Aletta von Massenbach told the BBC that at one terminal in Berlin, where Ryanair and Wizz Air operate, waiting times can run between "an hour to two hours".

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

I sit down at an empty terminal and check my email.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Related Words

• fatal
• incurable
• lethal