termination

noun

ter·​mi·​na·​tion ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

1

: end in time or existence : conclusion

the termination of life

2

: the last part of a word

especially : an inflectional ending

3

: the act of terminating

4

: a limit in space or extent : bound

5

: outcome, result

terminational

ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Synonyms of termination

• limitation
• limit
• end
• confines
• boundary
• line

Examples of termination in a Sentence

The law protects against unfair contract termination.

the termination of a lease

an early termination of the contract

The company noted over 300 terminations last quarter.

Are there plans for the termination of unproductive employees?

Recent Examples on the Web

On the Amazon side, the Teamsters’ ongoing back-and-forth has covered various arguments, such as allegations of unlawful contract terminations for workers at its delivery partners and whether the tech titan is a joint employer along with those partners. —Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026

Fueling of the massive SLS moon rocket is complete, but NASA is troubleshooting an issue with its flight termination system. —Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026

The takeoff was almost derailed in the last minute when an issue popped up with a key flight termination system. —Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026

The affected employees shared the news of their termination on social media. —Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Phrases Containing termination

• pre-termination

Rhymes for termination

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Medical Definition

termination

noun

ter·​mi·​na·​tion ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

: an end or ending of something

especially : a distal end of an anatomical part