terminate

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈtɝmɪneɪ̯t/ UK /ˈtɜːmɪneɪ̯t/ See IPA manual

Freq #12687

Meanings

1

verb
To end or stop something.

The company decided to terminate the contract early.
2

verb
Of a train or bus, to end its journey at a certain place.

This train terminates at the next station.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

discontinue fire sack stop

Opposites

continue

Word family

Forms terminatedterminatesterminating

Derived forms self-terminate

Related forms abort terminable terminationterminatorterminus

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.

*terh₂- Proto-Indo-European terminaten Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# terminate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɝmɪneɪ̯t/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈtɜːmɪneɪ̯t/
**Frequency rank:** 12687

## Meanings
1. To end or stop something.
2. Of a train or bus, to end its journey at a certain place.

## Examples
- The company decided to terminate the contract early.
- This train terminates at the next station.

## Synonyms
- discontinue
- fire
- sack
- stop

## Antonyms
- continue

## Derived Forms
- self-terminate

## Related Forms
- abort
- terminable
- termination
- terminator
- terminus

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *terh₂-
- Root: terminaten

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Terminate comes 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. The historical chain includes *terh₂- (Proto-Indo-European) and terminaten (Middle English). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as self-terminate and related forms such as abort, terminable, and termination. In present use it covers to end or stop something and of a train or bus, to end its journey at a certain place.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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