TERMINATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does terminate mean? 

• TERMINATE (verb)
  The verb TERMINATE has 4 senses:

1. bring to an end or halt

2. have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical

3. be the end of; be the last or concluding part of

4. terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position

  Familiarity information: TERMINATE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TERMINATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they terminate    ... he / she / it terminates   
Past simple: terminated   
Past participle: terminated   
-ing form: terminating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bring to an end or halt

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

end; terminate

Context example:

The attack on Poland terminated the relatively peaceful period after WW I

Hypernyms (to "terminate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Cause:

cease; end; finish; stop; terminate (have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "terminate"):

finish (cause to finish a relationship with somebody)

close out (terminate)

close (finish or terminate (meetings, speeches, etc.))

phase out (terminate gradually)

close (complete a business deal, negotiation, or an agreement)

conclude (bring to a close)

adjudicate; decide; resolve; settle (bring to an end; settle conclusively)

closure; cloture (terminate debate by calling for a vote)

complete; finish (come or bring to a finish or an end)

finalise; finalize; nail down; settle (make final; put the last touches on; put into final form)

crush out; extinguish; press out; stub out (extinguish by crushing)

break; interrupt (terminate)

break; break off; discontinue; stop (prevent completion)

break up; dissolve (bring the association of to an end or cause to break up)

break up; dissolve (come to an end)

kill; stamp out (end or extinguish by forceful means)

ax; axe (terminate)

lift; raise (put an end to)

culminate (bring to a head or to the highest point)

abort (terminate before completion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They won't terminate the story

Derivation:

termination (the act of ending something)

terminative (coming to an end)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

cease; end; finish; stop; terminate

Context example:

The symphony ends in a pianissimo

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "terminate"):

climax; culminate (end, especially to reach a final or climactic stage)

break (come to an end)

discontinue (come to or be at an end)

come out; turn out (result or end)

close; conclude (come to a close)

disappear; go away; vanish (become invisible or unnoticeable)

go; run low; run short (to be spent or finished)

run out (become used up; be exhausted)

disappear; vanish (cease to exist)

adjourn; break up; recess (close at the end of a session)

go out (become extinguished)

cut out (cease operating)

lapse (end, at least for a long time)

pass away (go out of existence)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

terminative (coming to an end)

terminus (a place where something ends or is complete)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Be the end of; be the last or concluding part of

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

end; terminate

Context example:

This sad scene ended the movie

Hypernyms (to "terminate" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "terminate"):

close (cause a window or an application to disappear on a computer desktop)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

terminative (coming to an end)

terminus (the ultimate goal for which something is done)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

can; dismiss; displace; fire; force out; give notice; give the axe; give the sack; sack; send away; terminate

Context example:

The company terminated 25% of its workers

Hypernyms (to "terminate" is one way to...):

remove (remove from a position or an office)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "terminate"):

retire (make (someone) retire)

dismiss; drop; send away; send packing (stop associating with)

squeeze out; clean out (force out)

pension off (let go from employment with an attractive pension)

furlough; lay off (dismiss, usually for economic reasons)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

 Context examples 

A designated limit beyond which something cannot function or must be terminated.

(Cutoff, NCI Thesaurus)

A variation of SSCP analysis in which the DNA fragments are generated by chain terminating sequencing reactions.

(Dideoxy Fingerprinting, NCI Thesaurus)

A spinal curve that originates at the middle of the second thoracic vertebra and terminates at the middle of the last thoracic vertebra.

(Dorsal Curve, NCI Thesaurus)

A person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings.

(Contract Officer, NCI Thesaurus)

An Initial Review Group that was terminated in June 1996.

(Comprehensiveness Subcommittee B, NCI Thesaurus)

It terminates in the lung (terminal bronchiole).

(Bronchus, NCI Thesaurus)

Aberrant pathways can be terminated by ablation.

(Cardiac Electrophysiology Study, NCI Thesaurus)

The point or place at which something terminates in time, space, or extent.

(End, NCI Thesaurus)

The stage terminates with the complete formation of the embryo.

(Embryonic Stage, NCI Thesaurus)

By the time that exercise was terminated, day had fully dawned.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)