terminal

adjective

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

Among the requirements: Patients must be at least 18, judged to be mentally competent and diagnosed with a terminal illness with a prognosis of six months or less to live, confirmed by at least two physicians. — Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY, "'What I want is a peaceful death': Kevin Roster has only weeks to live – and that's why he moved to California," 7 June 2019 The new state form asks doctors to certify that patients have one of many qualifying medical conditions laid out in the amendment, including cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, any terminal illness and anything that causes chronic pain. — Andy Marso, kansascity, "Most doctors won’t OK Missouri medical marijuana requests. But these KC clinics will," 4 June 2019 Trump has continued to tweet criticism of McCain even after he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer months ago. — Kay Steiger, Vox, "Trump disliked McCain, but his tweet right after news of his death is straightforward," 26 Aug. 2018 Studies chronicled many terminal patients’ tumultuous final days of treatments that were invasive, painful and futile. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "Fewer Americans are spending their final days in the hospital and more are dying at home," 27 June 2018 Dedicated on Labor Day in 1929, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has grown from its original one-terminal base to a three-terminal international hub. — Ashleigh R Wilson, azcentral, "Yes, it really happened on an airport tarmac in metro Phoenix," 29 July 2016 This time courtesy of Sally Field, Julia Roberts, and another terminal illness. — Seventeen, "20 Mother's Day Movies to Watch With Your Mom," 11 Apr. 2019 Is Chinese coal consumption in terminal decline or ramping up again? — Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, "China’s Banks Are Choking on Coal Dust," 9 Apr. 2019 The tektites would have been nearly falling from space, falling down to Earth at terminal velocities between 100 and 200 miles per hour, the scientists estimate. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The Annihilation Event That Killed The Dinosaurs Left This Diverse Graveyard Trapped in Time," 1 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Outside, much of the terminal looked as if it hadn’t been painted since the early 1980s. — Musa Okwonga, Quartz Africa, "On returning to Uganda, Museveni’s staying power and the significance of Bobi Wine," 30 May 2019 The location of the terminal — at the foot of Redoubt — has long been criticized for its vulnerability to eruptions. — Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska is no stranger to volcanoes erupting. But what would happen in a big one?," 28 May 2018 Tampa Fire Rescue arrived to help deliver the pups right in the middle of the terminal in front of Gate 80. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "Service dog goes into labor at Tampa International Airport," 26 May 2018 Orlando’s airport authority confirmed Wednesday that JetBlue is in line to be the first, major occupant of a terminal now under construction. — Kevin Spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando airport plans for JetBlue to anchor new terminal," 16 May 2018 With the press of a button, the user can choose the card to be billed and either swipe the card at a point-of-sale terminal or hand it to the merchant. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "Whatever you do, don’t give this programmable payment card to your waiter," 10 Apr. 2018 The third site is Channel Biorefinery & Terminals, where some 80,000 gallons of methanol spilled from a tank rupture into Greens Bayou, which enters the ship channel just downstream of the Magellan terminal. — Time, "'Nothing Short of Catastrophic.' Hurricane Harvey's Toxic Impact Worse Than Publicly Reported, Records Show," 22 Mar. 2018 The terminal has two berths and a third coming online by 2022 that will boost its container handling capacity by 50%. — Costas Paris, WSJ, "Macquarie Gets a Foothold in U.S.-Asia Ocean Trade," 5 May 2019 The company says the deepwater terminal will have flow rates of up to 60,000 barrels per hour and the capacity to load eight VLCCs per month. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "America's New Energy Coast," 19 Mar. 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.