# end

/ˈɛnd/ (US) · /ˈɛnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/end
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. final part of time or space

noun · CEFR A1

the last part of something, such as a period of time, an event, or a physical object.

For teachers: the terminal point of something in space or time; the final part of a duration or a physical extremity.

- We stayed until the very end of the movie to see the extra scene.
- By the end of the fiscal year, the company had successfully restructured its debt and regained investor confidence.

### 2. a goal or purpose

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

the reason why you do something; a goal or aim.

For teachers: a purpose, goal, or intended result of an action.

- He used his wealth as a means to an end to help the local community.
- The diplomat argued that the ends did not justify the means, insisting on ethical transparency throughout the negotiations.

### 3. money

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang

a slang word for money.

For teachers: a slang term referring to financial gain or accumulated money.

- He's just trying to make some ends so he can pay his rent.
- In many urban lyrics, the pursuit of ends is depicted as a primary motivator for characters navigating the gig economy.

### 4. graph theory

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a special point in a mathematical graph.

For teachers: an ideal point of a graph or other complex structure representing a direction in which the graph extends to infinity.

- The professor explained how to identify an end in an infinite graph.
- The study of ends in infinite graphs allows mathematicians to classify the structural properties of groups acting on those graphs.

### 5. to finish

verb · CEFR A1

to stop or finish something.

For teachers: to bring something to a conclusion or to reach a terminal point.

- The concert ended with a beautiful piano solo.
- The treaty effectively ended the border dispute that had plagued the two nations for over a decade.

## Examples

- This is the end of the book.
- We reached the end of the trail just as the sun began to set.
- The treaty marked the official end of hostilities, but the deep-seated resentments between the two nations would linger for decades.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.