What does "terminate" mean?

1. (to end a process or contract) to officially end something, like a contract, a meeting, or a plan. 2. (to fire an employee) to end someone's job at a company. 3. (to end a journey) when a bus, train, or plane reaches the final stop of its trip. 4. (to kill) to kill someone, often used in movies or by the police. 5. (math/decimals) a number or decimal that has a clear end and does not go on forever.

How do you use "terminate"?

Often used as the present participle 'terminating' acting as an adjective.

terminate

v. · adj.

US //ˈtɝməˌneɪt// UK //tˈɜːmɪnˌeɪt// ter·mi·nate

1 to end a process or contract (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

to officially end something, like a contract, a meeting, or a plan.

to bring a process, agreement, or activity to a formal conclusion. Transitive in this sense.

Example

The company decided to terminate the contract because the work was not finished on time.

Example

The legal department advised the board to terminate the partnership immediately following the discovery of the breach of confidentiality.
2 to fire an employee (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

to end someone's job at a company.

to end the employment of an individual, often for cause or due to restructuring. Used as a formal alternative to 'fire'.

Example

He was terminated from his position after he missed several important deadlines.

Example

The HR director clarified that the employee was not laid off but was terminated for repeated violations of the safety protocol.
- dismiss
- fire
- lay off
- hire
- recruit

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3 to end a journey (v.)
B1 Intermediate

when a bus, train, or plane reaches the final stop of its trip.

of a public transport vehicle or route: to reach the final station or terminus. Intransitive in this sense.

Example

This train will terminate at London Victoria station.

Example

Due to engineering works on the line, all northbound services will terminate at the suburban station rather than the city centre.
- finish
- stop
- originate
- depart
4 to kill (v.)
C1 Advanced Slang Humorous

to kill someone, often used in movies or by the police.

to kill or assassinate a target. Often used as a euphemism in military or law enforcement contexts.

Example

In the science fiction movie, the robot was sent to terminate the hero.

Example

The spy was given strict orders to terminate the target if the negotiations failed to produce a peaceful resolution.
5 math/decimals (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Math

a number or decimal that has a clear end and does not go on forever.

describing a decimal or mathematical series that has a finite number of digits or terms.

Example

The fraction one-half results in a terminating decimal of zero point five.

Example

Students must distinguish between terminating decimals and those that recur infinitely when performing long division.

Usage

Often used as the present participle 'terminating' acting as an adjective.
- finite
- limited
- recurring
- infinite

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

From Middle English terminat(e) (“bounded”, also used as the past participle of terminaten), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.