[go: up one dir, main page]

terminal 1 of 2

adjective

ˈtərm-nəl How to pronounce terminal (audio)
Definition of terminalnext
1
as in final
following all others of the same kind in order or time took me to the terminal point of that bus route

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death a form of cancer that is usually terminal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

terminal

2 of 2

noun

as in depot

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Cross’s character was felled by terminal brain cancer in the show’s sixth season. —John Russell, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025 In response, Tal told Buck his mother had terminal cancer. —Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
Musk approved a shipment of 4,000 Starlink terminals to the FAA last month, Bloomberg News reported. —David Ingram, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2025 Ukraine’s digital minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, told the FT that about 40,000 Starlink terminals are in use across the country. —Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 8 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for terminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terminal
  1. final
  2. lethal
  3. depot
  4. latest
  5. deadly
  6. last
  7. fatal
  8. infectious
Adjective
  • And more immediately, how will the loss of their No. 1 defenseman affect their plans in the final hours left to make a move?
    — Jeremy Rutherford, The Athletic, 7 Mar. 2025
  • That lifted the dark blanket of failure that the 2023 World Cup final loss to the Baggy Greens brought over the cricket-mad country.
    — Tim Ellis, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of final
Adjective
  • In 2023, Idaho authorized the firing squad as a method of execution if lethal injection drugs were not available.
    — William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
  • While castor beans themselves are harmless, ricin, when extracted correctly in a complex process, is lethal and has been the stuff of Cold War assassinations and the plot of a popular episode on the Breaking Bad television series.
    — Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of lethal
Noun
  • According to Oleg Nikolaev, nobody was hurt but the depot needed reconstruction work.
    — Joanna Kozlowska, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025
  • As the British withdrew from the depot, citizen militias repeatedly attacked.
    — Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Feb. 2025
Definition of depot
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
Definition of latest
Adjective
  • Related article Inside the perfect storm of the deadly measles outbreak in Texas Also Friday, the New Mexico Department of Health reported 30 measles cases in Lea County, 20 more than had previously been identified in the state.
    — Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
  • An all-too-common dispute between roommates turned deadly when a man suspected his privacy had been violated in a Nashville home, according to police in Tennessee.
    — Mark Price, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of deadly
Adjective
  • Rose died on September 30th, 2024, at the age of 83. Jeffrey Lenkov, a lawyer who represented Rose prior to his death last year, reportedly met with Commissioner Manfred and MLB spokesman Pat Courney in December.
    — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • There has been a lot of talk about U.S. exceptionalism last year, in reference to its economic and financial markets.
    — Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of last
Adjective
  • However, this condition raises your risk of esophageal cancer, which can be fatal.
    — Mark Gurarie, Health, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The sheriff's office said Tuesday that the company that provides natural gas service for the home made no significant findings after looking for gas leaks and carbon monoxide, the colorless, odorless gas that can be fatal by depriving people from getting enough oxygen.
    — Alex Sundby, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • This high rate of vaccination is needed because measles is the most infectious virus transmitted through the respiratory route – through coughing and sneezing.
    — Professor David R. Hill, Hartford Courant, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Measles is so highly infectious that 95% immunity is required to prevent epidemics, the WHO says.
    — ASSOCIATED PRESS, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of infectious

Browse Nearby Words

terminal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Terminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terminal. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on terminal

Nglish: Translation of terminal for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about terminal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
number-twelve-balloon
12-Letter Words Quiz A dozen words, a dozen letters each.
See All