terminus

American  

[tur-muh-nuhs] / ˈtɜr mə nəs /

noun

plural

termini, terminuses

1. the end or extremity of anything.

2. either end of a railroad line.

3. British. the station or the town at the end of a railway or bus route.

4. the point toward which anything tends; goal or end.

5. a boundary or limit.

6. a boundary post or stone.

7. (initial capital letter) the ancient Roman god of boundaries and landmarks.

8. term.

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terminus ¹ British  

/ ˈtɜːmɪnəs /

noun

1. the last or final part or point

2. either end of a railway, bus route, etc, or a station or town at such a point

3. a goal aimed for

4. a boundary or boundary marker

5. architect another name for term

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Terminus ² British  

/ ˈtɜːmɪnəs /

noun

1. the Roman god of boundaries

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Etymology

Origin of terminus

1545–55; < Latin: boundary, limit, end

Explanation

Consider terminus the end of the line. Whether it describes a train station, a goal, or an era — terminus refers to something’s final point. Ancient Romans worshiped Terminus as the god of boundaries, even performing sacrifices in his honor to bless objects that marked borders. You probably don’t have to go that far if you just want to use the noun terminus. You can use it as a weighty way to indicate something is at the end of the line, such as the last stop on a bus or train route. It most often refers to the end of a transportation route, but it can also be used more generally to mark the end point of other things — such as a marriage or a project.

Example Sentences

But at its southern terminus, that impression begins to shift.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

For the surface versions, the peptide was attached at either the N terminus or the C terminus, a subtle difference that can influence how immune cells recognize and process it.

From Science Daily • Feb. 18, 2026

A classical stadium at its end would counterbalance the Greek-temple-inspired Lincoln Memorial at the opposite terminus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

The long gold bull market appeared like it could be near its terminus.

From Barron's • Dec. 16, 2025

But the actual beach, the one he and the corporals gazed on now, was no more than a variation on all that had gone before: there was a rout, and this was its terminus.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan