WordGarden.iotermination
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /tˌɜːmɪnˈeɪʃən/
US
- /tərməˈneɪʃən/
Meanings
Noun
the act or fact of bringing something to an end
the formal ending of a job, contract, service, or agreement
the induced ending of a pregnancy; an abortion
More meaningsFewer meanings
the ending of a computer program, process, session, or connection
Beyond the definition
Termination means bringing something to an end—whether it is a movie reaching its final frame, a contract being canceled, or the formal ending of a pregnancy. It is a formal word often used in official or work-related situations, but it can also describe the natural end of a process. You will often hear it in connection with employment, when someone's job officially ends, or with a project that stops once its goals have been met.
Think of it like this: if something has a beginning, it will eventually reach an end. It is not always negative; some are sudden and unwanted, while others are planned, necessary, or even a sign that something has been completed properly. A story has a beginning, a middle, and eventually an ending.
Termination refers to the act of bringing something to a close or the state of being ended. While "end" or "stop" can often be used interchangeably with it, "termination" carries a more formal, legal, and often final tone. It is a staple of legal, business, and scientific vocabularies.
In a professional context, you might encounter the termination of a contract, meaning the agreement has been officially ended, sometimes before its original expiration date. In human resources, termination is the standard term for the end of an individual's employment. In medicine, termination can be used as a specific term for the ending of a pregnancy.
However, the word isn't strictly reserved for somber or legal matters. It can simply describe the natural boundary or conclusion of a sequence. For instance, the termination of a construction project signifies its successful completion. In biology, scientists might study the termination phase of protein synthesis or cell growth. In the world of technology, termination refers to the point at which a computer program finishes its execution or the end of a physical signal line in electronics.
The word finds its roots in the Latin "terminus," meaning a boundary or a limit. When you use "termination," you are drawing a definitive line and saying, "This is where it stops." It is a powerful word that signals finality—whether that end is planned, unexpected, or simply inevitable.
Examples
- 1
Employment contracts
The company announced the termination of 200 temporary contracts.
- 2
Workplace discipline
Repeated safety violations can result in immediate termination.
- 3
Service cancellation
You can request early termination of the phone service, but there may be a fee.
- 4
Lease notice
Under the lease, either party may give written notice of termination.
- Phrasenotice of termination
a formal statement that something will end
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Contract terms
The contract has a termination clause that explains when either side can end the agreement.
- Domaintermination clause
a part of a contract that says how it can be ended
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- contract termination
- termination of employment
- early termination
- termination notice
Word family
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Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- terminationnoun
Forms
- terminationspluralnoun