termination

American  

[tur-muh-ney-shuhn] / ˌtɜr məˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of terminating

2. the fact of being terminated.

3. the place or part where anything terminates; bound or limit.

4. an end or extremity; close or conclusion.

5. an issue or result.

6. Grammar. a suffix or ending.

7. an ending of employment with a specific employer.

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termination British  

/ ˌtɜːmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of terminating or the state of being terminated

2. something that terminates

3. a final result

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Usage

What does termination mean? Termination is the act of bringing something to an end or the physical end of something. Termination is the noun form of the verb terminate, meaning to bring an end to. It also means to fire someone from a job, and termination is perhaps most commonly used as a way to refer to this process or its result, as in His employment with the company ended in termination. Example: The termination of the program last year hurt the many people who relied on its benefits.

Other Word Forms

• nontermination noun
• terminational adjective
• unterminational adjective

Etymology

Origin of termination

1400–50; late Middle English terminacion < Latin terminātiōn- (stem of terminātiō ) decision. See terminate, -ion

Explanation

Whether it refers to getting fired from a job, a contract running out, or the assassination of a deep-cover spy, termination is "the end of the line." You may be familiar with a certain time-traveling cyborg assassin, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. His character was a "terminator," in a movie of the same name, and his goal was the termination of Sarah Connor. Lucky for Sarah, and the supposed future of our planet, the termination was unsuccessful. In the real world, you're more likely to see the word termination used when a contract, program, or job comes to an end, unexpectedly or as planned.

Example Sentences

A December amendment to the advisory contract says that if half of Braemar’s assets get sold, the termination payment still triggers.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Regulators have warned claims management companies and law firms involved in motor finance commission claims to make sure consumers do not have multiple representatives for the same claim and are not charged excessive termination fees.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

CrossCountry also agreed to pay the $25.4 million termination fee Two Harbors owes UWM for ending the companies’ agreement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Paramount paid a $2.8-billion termination fee to Netflix and signed the merger agreement on Feb. 27.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

“She’s already started the termination of proceedings,” Detective Stevens says.

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi

Related Words

• completion
• expiry