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 The Starliner code should have retrieved the time during the terminal countdown, after the Atlas 5's clocks were precisely set for launch. — William Harwood, CBS News, "Software errors could have destroyed Boeing Starliner, NASA says," 7 Feb. 2020 The TAC Air terminal building on the west side of the complex includes a passenger area, a pilots lounge and a luxurious private meeting and event area on the second floor overlooking the runway. — Steve Brown, Dallas News, "Old Braniff terminal takes off as a new mixed-use project," 6 Feb. 2020 The Culture Desk Each year on Dec. 29, Pat and Alicia Moorehead travel to Lake Elsinore in Southern California to celebrate a friend’s birthday party — in midair, while freefalling at terminal velocity. — Taylor Kate Brown, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Briefing: Impact of SF official’s arrest widens," 30 Jan. 2020 The port and terminal operator LOGISTEC have shifted focus to new cargo from Canada. — Laura Johnston, cleveland, "Cleveland port cargo grew 9 percent in 2019," 29 Jan. 2020 According to Peugeot, that's enough for an unremarkable zero-to-62-mph sprint of 7.3 seconds and a terminal velocity of 154 mph. — Jens Meiners, Car and Driver, "Peugeot 508 GT: A Look at the Future, Just Not Our Future," 27 Jan. 2020 What that all means is that the new bullet delivers enhanced terminal performance far and near, while also shooting extremely flat and accurately. — Richard Mann, Field & Stream, "Best New Hunting, Long-Range, and Handgun Ammo of the 2020 SHOT Show," 22 Jan. 2020 After nationalization, Djibouti offered a quarter of its stake to Chinese state behemoth China Merchants Ports Holdings, which is active across the world in port construction, container logistics and terminal management. — Costas Paris, WSJ, "Djibouti Rejects Court Ruling to Hand Back Container Terminal," 17 Jan. 2020 After years of tinkering, Seb and Mo discovered an ingenious process for making car parts—the only downside of which was that most of their workers developed terminal respiratory diseases. — Jake Tuck, The New Yorker, "Honest Founder Narratives," 16 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun With the concourses demolished and the mural moved, the airport will finish demolishing the terminal building. — Melissa Yeager, azcentral, "Sky Harbor Terminal 2 milestones through the years," 5 Feb. 2020 The main terminal refers to where all the different concourses join up. — Emily Bamforth, cleveland, "Aircuts salon, tapas bar & Shake Shack: What to do if you’re delayed at Cleveland airport this holiday season," 23 Dec. 2019 The wounded intruder and the injured officer were hospitalized after the struggle at about 4 a.m. Thursday in a restricted baggage-handling area outside the boarding gates of the main terminal serving domestic airlines, police Capt. — Ken Ritter And Paul Davenport, SFChronicle.com, "Police shoot intruder on tarmac of Las Vegas airport," 22 Nov. 2019 The Coos Bay City Council recently approved its local land use application, and federal fisheries regulators issued a final biological opinion concluding that the construction and operation of the terminal wouldn’t jeopardize endangered species. — oregonlive, "State regulators reject request for permit extension from Jordan Cove LNG project," 23 Jan. 2020 The nearby Kalibo International Airport was temporarily closed and flights canceled after the typhoon damaged the roof of the terminal building, according to an advisory from Philippine Airlines. — Sarah Faidell And Adam Renton, CNN, "Death toll from typhoon that lashed Philippines over Christmas rises to 47," 29 Dec. 2019 The biggest complicating factor is that the terminal building is still torn up and has a maze of construction walls from a widescale renovation project that was halted by a contract termination several months ago. — Jon Murray, The Denver Post, "Denver airport is about to see 2.5 million holiday travelers — here’s how to navigate the crowds," 20 Dec. 2019 Sky Galley has been inside the airport's old terminal building since the early 1940s. — Erin Glynn, Cincinnati.com, "Sky Galley restaurant at Lunken will be forced to close after city cancels its lease," 12 Dec. 2019 Harsh environments—what a nice euphemism for the sound and fury of terminals. — Christopher Schaberg, The Atlantic, "The Mobile Dead Zone on Airplanes," 1 Dec. 2019

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.