terminal

1 of 2

adjective

ter·​mi·​nal ˈtər-mə-nᵊl How to pronounce terminal (audio)
ˈtərm-nəl
1
a(1)
: leading ultimately to death : fatal
terminal cancer
(2)
: approaching or close to death : being in the final stages of a fatal disease
a terminal patient
(3)
: of or relating to patients with a terminal illness
terminal care
b
: of, relating to, or occurring in a term or each term
terminal payments
c
: extremely or hopelessly severe
terminal boredom
2
a
: of or relating to an end, extremity, boundary, or terminus
a terminal pillar
b
: growing at the end of a branch or stem
a terminal bud
3
a
: occurring at or constituting the end of a period or series : concluding
the terminal moments of life
b
: not intended as preparation for further academic work
a terminal curriculum
terminally adverb

terminal

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: either end of a carrier line having facilities for the handling of freight and passengers
b
: a freight or passenger station that is central to a considerable area or serves as a junction at any point with other lines
c
: a town or city at the end of a carrier line : terminus
2
: a combination of a keyboard and output device (such as a video display unit) by which data can be entered into or output from a computer or electronic communications system
3
: a device attached to the end of a wire or cable or to an electrical apparatus for convenience in making connections
4
: a part that forms the end : extremity, termination
5
: a terminating usually ornamental detail : finial
Choose the Right Synonym for terminal

last, final, terminal, ultimate mean following all others (as in time, order, or importance).

last applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or stopped.

last page of a book
last news we had of him

final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress.

final day of school

terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development.

terminal phase of a disease

ultimate implies the last degree or stage of a long process beyond which further progress or change is impossible.

the ultimate collapse of the system

Examples of terminal in a Sentence

Adjective She was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I was suffering from terminal boredom. another person with terminal stupidity branches that end in a terminal bud Noun I will meet you outside the bus terminal. Flight 1584 is now departing from Gate 6 in Terminal A. You are not allowed in the terminal without a ticket. Ten terminals are connected to this server. You will need to clean the corrosion off the battery terminals.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In the beginning, the Narrator briefly escapes his insomnia by attending gatherings of people with terminal and debilitating illnesses. Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2024 Russian state media reported that the terminal close to the city of Rovenky had come under attack from a Ukrainian drone. Samya Kullab and Elise Morton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024
Noun
Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024 The waterfront trail connects the Alderney ferry terminal to the Woodside ferry terminal with stunning views of the Halifax skyline along the way and takes about an hour to complete. Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for terminal 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terminal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin terminalis, from terminus

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Noun

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of terminal was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near terminal

Cite this Entry

“Terminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terminal. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

terminal

1 of 2 adjective
ter·​mi·​nal ˈtərm-nəl How to pronounce terminal (audio)
-ən-ᵊl
1
a
: of, relating to, or forming an end
a terminal pillar of a temple
b
: growing at the end of a branch or stem
a terminal bud
2
a
: of, relating to, or occurring in a term or each term
make terminal payments on a car
b
: leading finally to death
a terminal illness
3
: occurring at or being the end of a period or series
terminally
adverb

terminal

2 of 2 noun
1
: a part that forms the end
2
: a device attached to the end of a wire or cable or to electrical equipment for making connections
3
a
: either end of a transportation line (as a railroad or shipping line) with its offices and freight and passenger stations
b
: a freight or passenger station that serves a large area or acts as a junction between lines
a bus terminal
c
: a town at the end of a transportation line
4
: a device (as in a computer system) used for data entry and display

Medical Definition

terminal

1 of 2 adjective
ter·​mi·​nal ˈtərm-nəl, -ən-ᵊl How to pronounce terminal (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or being at an end, extremity, boundary, or terminus
the terminal phalanx of a finger
2
a
: leading ultimately to death : fatal
terminal cancer
b
: approaching or close to death : being in the final stages of a fatal disease
a terminal patient
c
: of or relating to patients with a terminal illness
terminal care
3
: being at or near the end of a chain of atoms making up a molecule
the terminal carbon
terminally adverb

terminal

2 of 2 noun
: a part that forms an end
especially : nerve ending
synthesis of a neurotransmitter in the presynaptic terminal of a neuron R. J. Wurtman

More from Merriam-Webster on terminal

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