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terminal

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective terminal contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of terminal are final, last, and ultimate. While all these words mean "following all others (as in time, order, or importance)," terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development.

terminal phase of a disease

When would final be a good substitute for terminal?

In some situations, the words final and terminal are roughly equivalent. However, final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress.

final day of school

When is it sensible to use last instead of terminal?

The meanings of last and terminal largely overlap; however, 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

Where would ultimate be a reasonable alternative to terminal?

The words ultimate and terminal can be used in similar contexts, but 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of terminal
Adjective
As temperatures climb and terminals get more crowded, dressing for flights becomes a delicate balance of comfort, function, and style. Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2025 Neighbors saw the victim's boyfriend speeding off erratically toward the island's ferry terminal. Christina Coulter, People.com, 24 June 2025
Noun
Vásquez added that the canal should use the ports deal as an opportunity to become a terminal operator itself by reactivating a project to build a terminal in the Port of Corozal at the Pacific end of the canal, according to FT. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 10 June 2025 One afternoon before his terminal diagnosis, the adult Chuck takes a stroll and spontaneously dazzles a crowd with a dance number done in wordless alliance with two strangers, a lovelorn book clerk (Annalise Basso) and a street drummer (Taylor Gordon). Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for terminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terminal
Adjective
  • As most readers already know, the Beatles’ final U.S. tour closed the door on touring altogether.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Despite Senate leaders’ promises to deepen spending cuts, the final version of the bill may ultimately raise overall expenditures.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • Richard Gerald Jordan, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran with PTSD, received a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
  • Advertisement Build a Check-In Culture Loneliness can be lethal during a heatwave.
    Kathy Baughman McLeod, Time, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • Less than a week ago, on June 12, Israel launched a barrage of attacks against Iran, targeting nuclear sites, missile depots, and military and political leaders.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2025
  • The congestion comes as the port continues to handle containers in droves, both from the ships at berth and from 19 private inland container depots established outside of the hub.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • The video is the latest in a lengthy stream of controversies the probation department has faced in recent years.
    James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2023
  • The shooting happened the day before the fifth anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that killed 17 and is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S.
    Joey Cappelletti and Mike Householder, Anchorage Daily News, 15 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • Texan communities are dealing with the impact of the deadly flash floods along the Guadalupe River, which have killed at least 80 people so far.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 7 July 2025
  • The search for those swept into deadly floods in central Texas continued Sunday as the death toll climbed to 78.
    Annabella Rosciglione, The Washington Examiner, 6 July 2025
Adjective
  • The first payments from Canada's digital services tax, which was enacted last year and applies retroactively to 2022, were initially set to be collected Monday.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 30 June 2025
  • Plus one last trip to a paleontology museum to reflect on and compare what’s been learned along the way, feeling in that excitement like children again.
    Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • An attack in Boulder, Colorado, in June and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C., in May, are two recent incidents of anti-Jewish violence that have rocked communities in the U.S. Advertisement Read More: The Rise of Antisemitism and Political Violence in the U.S.
    Rebecca Schneid, Time, 5 July 2025
  • Most had gone to sleep by the time of the fatal brawl.
    Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • Powered by fireworks, genre-hopping hits and his genuinely infectious personality, Malone appears to have set a state record for the largest-grossing single-day event in Idaho history.
    Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 25 June 2025
  • From the thundering beats to the infectious energy of the crowd, every moment served as an in-your-face reminder that music shapes, inspires, and unites.
    Ali Lerman, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Terminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terminal. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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