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.
To end something, especially when left in an incomplete state.
to terminate a process before its completion
to terminate an effort, or a controversy
1 more example
During this interval of calm and prosperity, he terminated two figures of slaves, destined for the tomb, in an incomparable style of art.1857, John Scandrett Harford, The Life of Michael Angelo Buonarroti:
2
To conclude.
3
To set or be a limit or boundary to.
to terminate a surface by a line
4
To form an appropriate end on (a wire, cable, hose, pipe, etc), such as by applying a cable terminal or a hose ferrule.
We'll rough them all in before we start terminating any of them.
5
To end the employment contract of an employee; to fire, lay off.
The enemy must be terminated by any means possible.
7
To end, conclude, or cease; to come to an end.
She unlocked the casket which contained her mother's picture, and gazed even more earnestly than usual on that beautiful face; its frank, glad smile was too painful; it seemed an omen of all that could make a joyous and beloved existence; and yet how had her's terminated!1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 102:
8
Of a mode of transport, to end its journey; or, of a railway line, to reach its terminus.
This train terminates at the next station.
It is a branch that climbs for 11½ miles into the picturesque Wealden hills until, apparently exhausted by the effort, it terminates a mile short of the village of Hawkhurst.1960 March, H. P. White, “The Hawkhurst branch of the Southern Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 170:
1 more example
After dropping off travellers at Foregate Street, my train terminates at Shrub Hill - a station which boasts one of the best selection [sic] of semaphore signals left in the country.2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 67:
Etymology From Middle English terminat(e) (“bounded”, also used as the past participle of terminaten), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.
1
Terminated; limited; bounded; ended.
2
Having a definite and clear limit or boundary; having a determinate size, shape or magnitude.
Mountains on the Moon cast shadows that are very dark, terminate and more distinct than those cast by mountains on the Earth.
3
Mathematics, Sciences Expressible in a finite number of terms; (of a decimal) not recurring or infinite.
One third is a recurring decimal, but one half is a terminate decimal.