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

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

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

Etymology

Origin of terminal

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

Example Sentences

Third is the persistence of unusual experiences, such as near-death experiences, mystical states, or episodes of terminal lucidity, which do not fit neatly into existing scientific frameworks.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

The bird was discovered by airport police near terminal one after being spotted perched on a rubbish bin.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

The FAA said United’s expansion will stress the Chicago airport’s runway, terminal and air-traffic control systems.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

The island is the location of Iran’s main crude export terminal, handling 85% to 95% of the country’s oil exports.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

A later development was the idea of terminal narratives, which were theories put forth to explain colonization of the Americas.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• fatal
• incurable
• lethal