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

• 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

The draft that the Senate released over the weekend sets a single termination date: Sept. 30th, three months from now. —Camila Domonoske, NPR, 30 June 2025

The phone line terminations serve as a testing ground for the task force's approach to cost reduction across federal agencies. —Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025

Hundreds of miles removed from the site of his arrest, Scott was finally able to find employment — though even here, being outed to his workplace would mean termination. —Madelyn Harrington, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025

The protest against termination was one of my first demonstrations. —Nick Estes, New Yorker, 26 June 2025

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