end

1 of 5

noun

1
a
: the part of an area that lies at the boundary
b(1)
: a point that marks the extent of something
(2)
: the point where something ceases to exist
world without end
c
: the extreme or last part lengthwise : tip
d
: the terminal unit of something spatial that is marked off by units
e
: a player stationed at the extremity of a line or team (as in football)
2
a
: cessation of a course of action, pursuit, or activity
c(1)
: the ultimate state
(2)
3
: something incomplete, fragmentary, or undersized : remnant
4
a
: an outcome worked toward : purpose
the end of poetry is to be poetryR. P. Warren
b
: the object by virtue of or for the sake of which an event takes place
5
a
: a share in an undertaking
kept your end up
b
: a particular operation or aspect of an undertaking or organization
the sales end of the business
6
: something that is extreme : ultimate
used with the
7
: a period of action or turn in any of various sports events (such as archery or lawn bowling)
ended adjective

end

2 of 5

verb (1)

ended; ending; ends

transitive verb

1
a
: to bring to an end
b
2
: to make up the end of
a wedding scene ends the film

intransitive verb

1
a
: to come to an end
the meeting will end at noon
b
: to reach a specified ultimate rank, situation, or place
usually used with up
ended up as a colonel
2
: die

end

3 of 5

adjective

: final, ultimate
end results
end markets

end

4 of 5

verb (2)

ended; ending; ends

transitive verb

dialectal, England
: to put (grain or hay) into a barn or stack

end-

5 of 5

combining form

variants or endo-
1
: within : inside
endoskeleton
compare ect-, exo-
2
: taking in
endothermic
Phrases
in the end
: after all, ultimately
will surely succeed in the end
no end
: exceedingly
it pleases us no end
on end
: without a stop or letup
it rained for days on end
Choose the Right Synonym for end

Noun

intention, intent, purpose, design, aim, end, object, objective, goal mean what one intends to accomplish or attain.

intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about.

announced his intention to marry

intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

the clear intent of the statute

purpose suggests a more settled determination.

being successful was her purpose in life

design implies a more carefully calculated plan.

the order of events came by accident, not design

aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.

her aim was to raise film to an art form

end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such.

willing to use any means to achieve his end

object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need.

his constant object was the achievement of pleasure

objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.

their objective is to seize the oil fields

goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.

worked years to reach her goals

Verb (1)

close, end, conclude, finish, complete, terminate mean to bring or come to a stopping point or limit.

close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

end conveys a strong sense of finality.

ended his life

conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

complete implies the removal of all deficiencies or a successful finishing of what has been undertaken.

the resolving of this last issue completes the agreement

terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

your employment terminates after three months

Examples of end in a Sentence

Noun The report is due at the end of the month. She interviewed several players at the end of the game. The restaurant is in the north end of the city. We biked from one end of the island to the other. The house is at the end of the road. They live at opposite ends of town. the deep end of a swimming pool She drove the end of the stake into the ground. The car's front end was damaged. One end of the rope was tangled. Verb (1) let's end the meeting with a short prayer unfortunately, an argument ended their date, and they're still not speaking to each other a book so good that you hate to see it end a great general, who ended on the field of battle Adjective the end product of a process the end point of the operation
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Related article Why this pioneering abstract painter disappeared from the art world at the height of her fame Lempicka was born at the end of the 19th century to a wealthy Polish family, though her exact place of birth is still unknown. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 23 Oct. 2024 In other restaurant news: 👋 Union Hmong Kitchen is vacating Graze Provisions + Libations at the end of the month. Audrey Kennedy, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
Virgin Atlantic ceased all flights to Hong Kong — and closed an office there — in 2022, ending the airline’s 30-year presence in the Asian financial hub. Monica Pitrelli, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2024 As the supernatural threat escalates, Chuck must locate Foster’s former residence at the titular address to end the haunting. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
While this cannot be provided by any vendor, using the CVE Program to leverage open-source CNAs, in particular, allows for more accurate assessments of the software, a necessary starting point for end-user risk evaluation. Vincent Danen, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 In the latest tariff revisions at end August, BYD, China’s behemoth automaker, saw tariffs cut to 17% from 17.4%, Geely to 19.3% from 19.9%, and SAIC saw a reduction to 36.3% from 37.6%. Sonia Heng, CNBC, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for end 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'end.' 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

Noun

Middle English ende, from Old English; akin to Old High German enti end, Latin ante before, Greek anti against

Verb (2)

probably alteration of English dialect in to harvest

Combining form

French, from Greek, from endon within; akin to Greek en in, Old Latin indu, Hittite andan within — more at in

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of end was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near end

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

end

1 of 3 noun
1
a
: the part at the boundary of an area
b
: a point that marks the limit of something or the point where something no longer exists
no end to her generosity
the end of the month
c
: the last part lengthwise : tip
2
a
: the stopping of a process or activity
3
: something left over : remnant
4
5
: a football lineman whose position is at the end of the line
6
: a phase of an undertaking
the sales end of the business
ended adjective

end

2 of 3 verb
: to bring or come to an end : stop

end-

3 of 3 combining form
variants or endo-
1
: within : inside
endoskeleton
compare exo-
2
: taking in
endothermic
Etymology

Combining form

derived from Greek end-, endo- "inside, within"

More from Merriam-Webster on end

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!