terminate

[ tur-muh-neyt ]

/ ˈtɜr məˌneɪt /

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See synonyms for: terminate / terminated / terminating 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).

OTHER WORDS FOR terminate

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

See synonyms for terminate on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

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showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of terminate

1580–90; verbal use of late Middle English terminate (adjective) “limited,” from Latin terminātus, past participle of termināre. See term, -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM terminate

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

Words nearby terminate

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use terminate in a sentence

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez questioned whether an officer could be decertified before he or she was terminated, because members of the public would be able to bring complaints to POST directly.
Sacramento Report: Jones, COVID-19 and the Irony of Remote Voting|Sara Libby and Jesse Marx|August 28, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Cowan said that Postal Service leaders had not eliminated overtime — but that mail sorting procedures had changed, effectively terminating it in certain ways anyway.
Info About Local Post Office Operations Is Conflicting and Hard to Come By|Ashly McGlone and Kate Nucci|August 27, 2020|Voice of San Diego
This causes the qubits to lose their quantum state and decohere, terminating any actual quantum computing.
Cosmic rays could pose a problem for future quantum computers|Neel Patel|August 26, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Computer scientists are generally interested in knowing whether a given rewriting system always terminates.
Computer Scientists Attempt to Corner the Collatz Conjecture|Kevin Hartnett|August 26, 2020|Quanta Magazine

PG&E owed the firm millions of dollars when it abruptly terminated its business relationship this year.
The Mystery House: How a Suspicious Multimillion Dollar Real Estate Deal Is Connected to California’s Deadliest Fire|by Scott Morris, Bay City News Foundation|August 26, 2020|ProPublica
And sometimes, they chose to terminate their pregnancies by having abortions.
Is This the Return of Back Alley Abortions?|Sally Kohn|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
And I would respectfully suggest that this interview must definitely terminate the matter one way or the other.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
He had hitherto lived for universal man:—his days should terminate on a different principle.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
In many cases an agency is created for an indefinite period, and in these either party can terminate it whenever he desires.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
To support his rôle as the friend of labor, he must needs terminate the sanguinary struggle.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman
Hoping to terminate the thefts, Johnny complained to the overseer, though without accusing Jack.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist|Alexander Berkman

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 of terminate

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

terminate

OTHER WORDS FOR terminate

Origin of terminate

OTHER WORDS FROM terminate

Words nearby terminate

Words related to terminate

How to use terminate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for terminate

Derived forms of terminate

Word Origin for terminate