terminate
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin terminātus, past participle of terminō (“I set bounds to, bound, limit, end, close, terminate”), from terminus (“a bound, limit, end”); see term, terminus. Doublet of termine.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtɝmɪneɪt/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtɜːmɪneɪt/
Audio (UK) (file)
- Hyphenation: ter‧mi‧nate
Verb
terminate (third-person singular simple present terminates, present participle terminating, simple past and past participle terminated)
- (transitive) To end something, especially when left in an incomplete state.
- to terminate a process before its completion
- to terminate an effort, or a controversy
- 1857, John Scandrett Harford, The Life of Michael Angelo Buonarroti
- During this interval of calm and prosperity, he terminated two figures of slaves, destined for the tomb, in an incomparable style of art.
- (Should we delete(+) this redundant sense?) (transitive) To conclude.
- (transitive) To set or be a limit or boundary to.
- to terminate a surface by a line
- (transitive, euphemistic) To kill someone or something.
- The enemy must be terminated by any means possible.
- 2003, Clinton, Hillary Rodham, “Prague Summer”, in Living History, →ISBN, OCLC 249479603, page 354:
- When I defend my pro-choice position in the debate over abortion in our country, I frequently refer to Romania, where pregnancy could be monitored on behalf of the state, and to China, where it could be forcibly terminated.
- (transitive, euphemistic) To end the employment contract of an employee; to fire, lay off.
- (intransitive) To end, conclude, or cease; to come to an end.
- 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), OCLC 630079698, page 102:
- She unlocked the casket which contained her mother's picture, and gazed even more earnestly than usual on that beautiful face; its frank, glad smile was too painful; it seemed an omen of all that could make a joyous and beloved existence; and yet how had her's terminated!
-
- (intransitive) Of a mode of transport, to end its journey; or, of a railway line, to reach its terminus.
- This train terminates at the next station.
- 1960 March, H. P. White, “The Hawkhurst branch of the Southern Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 170:
- It is a branch that climbs for 11½ miles into the picturesque Wealden hills until, apparently exhausted by the effort, it terminates a mile short of the village of Hawkhurst.
- 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 67:
- After dropping off travellers at Foregate Street, my train terminates at Shrub Hill - a station which boasts one of the best selection [sic] of semaphore signals left in the country.
- (Should we delete(+) this redundant sense?) (intransitive) To issue or result.
Synonyms
- (to end incompletely): discontinue, stop, break off
- (to kill): See also Thesaurus:kill
- (to end the employment contract): axe, fire, sack; see also Thesaurus:lay off
Antonyms
- (to end incompletely): continue
Related terms
- terminable
- termination
- terminator
- terminus
Translations
to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state — See also translations at end
|
to set or be a limit or boundary to
|
to kill someone or something — See also translations at kill
|
to end the employment contract of — See also translations at fire, lay off
|
of a mode of transport, to end its journey; or, of a railway line, to reach its terminus
|
See also
- abort
Adjective
terminate (comparative more terminate, superlative most terminate)
- Terminated; limited; bounded; ended.
- Having a definite and clear limit or boundary; having a determinate size, shape or magnitude.
- Mountains on the Moon cast shadows that are very dark, terminate and more distinct than those cast by mountains on the Earth.
- (mathematics) Expressible in a finite number of terms; (of a decimal) not recurring or infinite.
- One third is a recurring decimal, but one half is a terminate decimal.
Translations
terminated; limited; bounded; ended — see terminated, limited, bounded, ended
mathematics: expressible in a finite number of terms; (of a decimal) not recurring or infinite
|
References
- “terminate”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989, →ISBN.
Further reading
- terminate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- terminate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
- “terminate”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
Anagrams
- Marinette, antimeter, intermate, interteam, tetramine, tretamine
Italian
Verb
terminate
- inflection of terminare:
- second-person plural present indicative/subjunctive
- second-person plural imperative
Participle
terminate f pl
- feminine plural of terminato
Anagrams
- attenermi, meritante
Latin
Verb
termināte
- second-person plural present active imperative of terminō
References
- “terminate”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press