terminate en · VERB · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈtɜːmɪneɪ̯t/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- audio
- /ˈtɝmɪneɪ̯t/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From Middle English terminaten (“to bring to an end; to adjudicate; to end, stop; to border, confine, contain”) from terminat(e) (“bounded”, also used as the past participle of terminaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin terminātus, perfect passive participle of terminō (“to set bounds to, bound, limit, end, close, terminate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from terminus (“a bound, limit, end”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix); see term, terminus. Doublet of termine, cognate with French terminer.
Meanings
-
(transitive) To end something, especially when left in an incomplete state.
to terminate an effort, or a controversy
During this interval of calm and prosperity, he terminated two figures of slaves, destined for the tomb, in an incomparable style of art.
1857, John Scandrett Harford, The Life of Michael Angelo Buonarroti:to terminate a process before its completion
- (transitive) To conclude.
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(transitive) To set or be a limit or boundary to.
to terminate a surface by a line
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(transitive) To form an appropriate end on (a wire, cable, hose, pipe, etc), such as by applying a cable terminal or a hose ferrule.
We'll rough them all in before we start terminating any of them.
- (transitive) To end the employment contract of an employee; to fire, lay off.
-
(euphemistic, transitive) To kill someone or something.
The enemy must be terminated by any means possible.
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(intransitive) To end, conclude, or cease; to come to an end.
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!
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 102:
-
(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.
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.
1960 March, H. P. White, “The Hawkhurst branch of the Southern Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 170: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.
2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 67:
- (intransitive) To issue or result.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| terminates | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| terminated | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| terminated | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| terminating | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Antonyms
continue (antonym(s) of “to end incompletely”)
Deriveds
terminate with extreme prejudice · terminatable · antiterminate · interminate · reterminate · self-terminate · misterminate · coterminate · thought-terminating cliché · terminatory · terminative · unterminate
Relateds
termination · terminus · abort · terminator · terminable
Synonyms
stop (to end incompletely) · sack · discontinue (to end incompletely) · break off (to end incompletely) · fire · axe (to end the employment contract)
Translations (83)
mi tauporo (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · ka შეწყვეტა (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · hu végződtet (to set or be a limit or boundary to) · txb kärst- (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · cmn 結束 /结束 (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · gl terminar (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · cmn 幹掉 /干掉 (to kill someone or something) · it terminare (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · bg приклю́чвам (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · hu megszakad (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · cmn 殺死 /杀死 (to kill someone or something) · hu megszakít (to end the employment contract of) · hu végállomáshoz ér (of a mode of transport, to end its journey; or, of a railway line, to reach its terminus) · ru прекратить (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · hu meggyilkol (to kill someone or something) · hu befejez (to set or be a limit or boundary to) · pt cancelar (to kill someone or something) · ja 解約する (to end the employment contract of) · cmn 幹 /干 (to kill someone or something) · ja 解雇する (to end the employment contract of) · cmn 終止 /终止 (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · ka გაწყვეტა (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · hu megszakít (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · es destituir (to end the employment contract of) · cmn 炒 (to end the employment contract of) · nl beëindigen (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · cmn 解僱 /解雇 (to end the employment contract of) · hu zár (to set or be a limit or boundary to) · hu (intrans.) végződik (to set or be a limit or boundary to) · pt terminar (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · hu megszüntet (to end the employment contract of) · nl termineren (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · ru прекраща́ть (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · es terminar (end, conclude, or cease) · ga cuir ar scor (to end the employment contract of) · hu véget ér (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · fr terminer (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · es cesantear (to end the employment contract of) · ro termina (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · ja 止める (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · ru ограничить (to set or be a limit or boundary to) · mi whakamutu (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · mi porotūtuki (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · it cessare (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · hu megsemmisít (to kill someone or something) · ru расторгнуть (to end the employment contract of) · fi irtisanoa (to end the employment contract of) · fi päättää (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · hu véget vet (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · ja 消す (to kill someone or something) · hu felmond (to end the employment contract of) · hu lejár (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · cmn 了結 /了结 (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · eo finiĝi (end, conclude, or cease) · es terminar (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · he סיים (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · ka ბოლოს მოღება (to kill someone or something) · cmn 炒魷魚 /炒鱿鱼 (to end the employment contract of) · cmn 殺害 /杀害 (to kill someone or something) · cmn 解決 /解决 (to kill someone or something) · cmn 解約 /解约 (to end the employment contract of) · hu (intrans.) abbamarad (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · ka განადგურება (to kill someone or something) · de abbrechen (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · txb kärst- (to kill someone or something) · ru расторгать (to end the employment contract of) · hu lezár (to set or be a limit or boundary to) · fi lopettaa (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · bg приклю́ча (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · bg убивам (to kill someone or something) · mi keremutu (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · yi אָפּזאָגן (to end the employment contract of) · ru убить (to kill someone or something) · mi porotukituki (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · hu megszüntet (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · hu … a végállomása (of a mode of transport, to end its journey; or, of a railway line, to reach its terminus) · el διακόπτω (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · ja 打ち切る (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · hu felbont (to end the employment contract of) · la aboleō (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state) · ru ограничивать (to set or be a limit or boundary to) · de entlassen (to end the employment contract of) · de terminieren (to end something, especially when left in an incomplete state)