terminal

adjective

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ter·mi·nal | \ ˈtərm-nəl

, ˈtər-mə-nᵊl \

Definition of terminal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a(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

2a : 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

3a : 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

terminal

noun

Definition of terminal (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

Other Words from terminal Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about terminal

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Choose the Right Synonym for terminal

Adjective

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 For terminal velocity, these two must be equal in magnitude. — Rhett Allain, Wired, "Could Bad Guys Actually Escape Falcon in a Wingsuit for Two?," 20 Apr. 2021 Given the inflationary hype surrounding NFTs, which reached terminal velocity with the $69.3 million Beeple sale on March 11, many say a price drop was a matter of when, not if. — Anny Shaw, CNN, "NFT prices are plummeting. What could this mean for the art world?," 15 Apr. 2021 Shortly thereafter, Moth was diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration, a rare terminal illness that shuts down the brain, bit by bit. — Laurie Hertzel, Star Tribune, "Review: 'The Wild Silence,' by Raynor Winn," 2 Apr. 2021 And this is not a technique that would be appropriate for people experiencing a situation that offers little chance of improvement, such as a terminal illness or chronic poverty. — Washington Post, "Pandemic got you down? Psychologists suggest time travel — sort of.," 31 Mar. 2021 Glimm said allowing someone to end their life because of pain from a terminal illness could normalize suicide for people living with depression, which is also a form of pain. — Time, "Getting a Prescription to Die Remains Tricky Even As Aid-in-Dying Bills Gain Momentum Across the U.S.," 29 Mar. 2021 At terminal velocity, even tofu can do fatal damage to a windshield. — Sha Hua, WSJ, "Beware of Falling Tofu: China Takes on High-Altitude Littering," 16 June 2020 Two of the five remaining mutations in the spike protein are located in the N-terminal domain of the S1 protein, a region that is extensively mutated in other variants of concern. — William A. Haseltine, Forbes, "An Indian SARS-CoV-2 Variant Lands In California. More Danger Ahead?," 12 Apr. 2021 Arguments about the best terminal knot are endless. — Popular Science, "The strongest fishing knots you can tie," 3 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun While mulling over design plans in an airport terminal, her project really took off. — Leslie Poyzer, Better Homes & Gardens, "Fresh Paint and a DIY Bed Swing Revamp a Sunroom Entryway for $500," 22 Apr. 2021 Rectangles and diamonds overlaid the compositions like flags at a stadium, or signs at an airport terminal. — Jason Farago, New York Times, "Julie Mehretu’s Long Journey Home," 25 Mar. 2021 Twelve days later, she was arrested in an airport terminal for criminal trespass. — Lauren M. Johnson, CNN, "'Serial stowaway' Marilyn Hartman arrested again at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport," 17 Mar. 2021 Like the liquid electrolyte that sits between the electrodes in a conventional cell, its main function is to ferry lithium ions from one terminal to the other when the battery charges and discharges. — Daniel Oberhaus, Wired, "Did QuantumScape Just Solve a 40-Year-Old Battery Problem?," 8 Dec. 2020 Two areas of concern are Lutak Spur and 5 miles upriver, across the canal from the ferry terminal. — James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, "Haines search and rescue efforts underway for 2 people still missing after major landslide," 3 Dec. 2020 The woman had a brief interaction with Gaines across the street from the bus terminal before the shooting, according to investigators. — Brooke Baitinger, sun-sentinel.com, "Man dies after shooting at Fort Lauderdale bus terminal," 20 Oct. 2020 Instead, airport officials have created a new pickup area for users of the ride-hailing apps away from the arrival terminal. — Luz Lazo, Washington Post, "Uber and Lyft have a new pickup location at Dulles," 24 Aug. 2020 Delta Flight 2020, is the first flight out of the new terminal at the Salt Lake City International Airport on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Gordon Monson: As Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz know, sometimes leaving on a jet plane is nobody’s idea of a good time," 1 Apr. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'terminal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.