terminate

[ tur-muh-neyt ]

/ ˈtɜr məˌneɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR terminate 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).

Nearby words

terminal nucleus, terminal platform, terminal stria, terminal sulcus, terminal velocity, terminate, terminating decimal, terminatio, termination, termination codon, terminator

Origin of terminate

1580–90; v. use of late Middle English terminate (adj.) limited < Latin terminātus, past participle of termināre. See term, -ate¹

SYNONYMS FOR terminate

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

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR terminate ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

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

Can be confused

downsize fire lay off rightsize terminate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for terminate

Instead, the county filed to terminate his rights based on his mental illness.
One Breakdown Can Mean Losing Your Kid Forever|ProPublica|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Abortifacients, by contrast, are used to terminate an existing pregnancy.
Is Forced Religious Belief Coming to an Employer Near You?|Jamelle Bouie|November 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Has the IRS taken actions to terminate the offending employees?
IRS Singled Out Conservative Groups for Extra Scrutiny|Megan McArdle|May 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Republic wanted to terminate its obligations and put workers in a 401(k) (or at least a more solvent Teamster pension plan).
How the IRS Wrecked Your Pension|Megan McArdle|May 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST

There was no way I was making any demand to Daria to terminate her pregnancy.
Ballet Director Asked Dancer To Consider Aborting Baby To Play Sleeping Beauty|Tom Sykes|March 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Then the din began again, to terminate at the instant as before.
Bird Stories from Burroughs|John Burroughs
I cannot terminate these remarks without saying a word or two about Disraeli's great antagonist, Peel.
Political and Literary essays, 1908-1913|Evelyn Baring
So that Hiram's arrival served to terminate a suspense which had become painful.
The Continental Monthly, Vol 2, No 6, December 1862|Various
Does it terminate at the age of twenty-one in the case of male children, and at eighteen in the case of females?
Bertha and Her Baptism|Nehemiah Adams
At a still early hour a road leading off to the right and seeming to terminate in the very depths of the marshes was reached.
The Auto Boys' Quest|James A Braden

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

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