terminate

American  

[tur-muh-neyt] / ˈtɜr məˌneɪt /

verb (used with object)

terminated, terminating

1. to bring to an end; put an end to.

   to terminate a contract.

   Synonyms:

   complete, close, conclude, finish, end

2. to occur at or form the conclusion of.

   The countess's soliloquy terminates the play.

   Synonyms:

   complete, close, conclude, finish, end

3. to bound or limit spatially; form or be situated at the extremity of.

4. to dismiss from a job; fire.

   to terminate employees during a recession.

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verb (used without object)

terminated, terminating

1. to end, conclude, or cease.

2. (of a train, bus, or other public conveyance) to end a scheduled run at a certain place.

   This train terminates in New York.

3. to come to an end (often followed by at, in, orwith ).

4. to issue or result (usually followed byin ).

terminate British  

/ ˈtɜːmɪˌneɪt /

verb

1. to form, be, or put an end (to); conclude

   to terminate a pregnancy

   their relationship terminated amicably

2. (tr) to connect (suitable circuitry) to the end of an electrical transmission line to absorb the energy and avoid reflections

3. (intr) maths (of a decimal expansion) to have only a finite number of digits

4. slang (tr) to kill (someone)

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Other Word Forms

• nonterminative adjective
• nonterminatively adverb
• self-terminating adjective
• self-terminative adjective
• terminative adjective
• terminatively adverb
• terminatory adjective
• unterminated adjective
• unterminating adjective
• unterminative adjective

Etymology

Origin of terminate

1580–90; verbal use of late Middle English terminate (adjective) “limited,” from Latin terminātus, past participle of termināre. See term, -ate ¹

Explanation

To terminate something is to bring it to an end. Period. Full stop. In ancient Rome, Terminus was the God of landmarks, boundaries, and endings. That’s why his annual party took place at the end of the year. You can imagine the guests walking around in their togas, going, “This party is so great, I wish it would never terminate.” Nowadays, terminate can be used to refer to bringing anything to an end — including one's job or a product line: "When the Weird Food Company announces plans to terminate production of its deep-fried chocolate-covered pickle line, it will be a sad day for lovers of strange snacks."

Example Sentences

Anthropic said it has had discussions with the US government regarding Mythos despite a decree by the White House in February to terminate all contracts with the startup.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

He joins a growing number of politicians looking to terminate the 64-year-old policy.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

“In the unlikely event that you ever need to terminate the trust, you may do so if the trustees and beneficiaries agree.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

Terzic has been out of work since asking Dortmund "to terminate his contract with immediate effect" in June 2024, after leading the club to the Champions League final.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

While he thought the Constitution was crystal clear that Congress could not restrict or terminate the slave trade before 1808, it did not prohibit the members of the House from talking about the issue.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• abolish
• abort
• adjourn
• annul
• cancel
• cease
• complete
• conclude
• cut off
• determine
• discharge
• discontinue
• dismiss
• dissolve
• eliminate
• expire
• halt
• put an end to
• recess
• restrict