English Reference
noun

termination

n.
US /tɝməˈneɪʃən/ UK /tˌɜːmɪnˈeɪʃən/ ter·mi·na·tion UK spelling terminations

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    the act of ending something or the state of being finished.

    the act of bringing something to a conclusion or the state of being terminated; frequently used in legal and contractual contexts.

    Simple

    The contract includes a clause for early termination if the work is not finished on time.

    In context

    The sudden termination of the trade agreement sent shockwaves through the local economy, forcing many small businesses to seek alternative suppliers immediately.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

    the act of making someone leave their job.

    the act of ending an employee's period of employment, whether voluntary or involuntary.

    Simple

    He received a letter of termination after failing to meet his sales targets.

    In context

    Human Resources handled the termination with professional discretion, ensuring all severance protocols were followed according to the employee's original contract.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced FormalTechnical Medicine

    a medical operation to end a pregnancy.

    the medical procedure of induced abortion.

    Simple

    She went to the clinic to discuss the termination of her pregnancy.

    In context

    The patient requested a medical termination after the screening revealed severe genetic abnormalities that would prevent the foetus from surviving until birth.

  4. 04 C2 Proficiency AcademicTechnical Science

    the last part of a word, like a suffix.

    the final part of a word, especially an inflectional or derivational suffix.

    Simple

    In Latin, the termination of a noun tells you its role in the sentence.

    In context

    The linguist noted that the specific termination used in this dialect differs significantly from the standard grammatical rules of the mainland.

    Usage

    In linguistics, this refers specifically to the morphological ending of a word.

These can be religious, moral or personal objections to termination of pregnancy.

BBC News· 17 Aug 2026

Over in the House, the Nationals MP Llew O’Brien is debating his bill to force doctors to provide medical care and treatment for babies born alive after the termination of a pregnancy.

The Guardian· 17 Aug 2026

Borrowed from Latin terminationem (accusative of terminatio).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin terminationem
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated