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PlainSpell

term

/tɜɹm/noun, verb, adjective

term is spelled T-E-R-M: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 170 times per million words in written English, the 591st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, term means “That which limits the extent of anything; limit, extremity, bound, boundary, terminus” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of term is terms.

How many letters and syllables are in term?

Letters4: T-E-R-M
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing170 times per million words; the 591st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with
Same letters

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is term?

Term appears 170 times per million words in written English, the 591st most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce term?

  • UK /tɜːm/
  • UK [tʰɜːm] ~ [tʰɐ̝ːm]
  • US /tɜɹm/

Term has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-term.wav, En-us-term.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with term?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as term from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹm/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: trem.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of term

  • terms plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • terming participle, present
  • termed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does term mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    That which limits the extent of anything; limit, extremity, bound, boundary, terminus.

  2. 2

    Any of the binding conditions or promises in a contract or agreement.

    Be sure to read the terms and conditions before signing.

  3. 3

    Specifically, the conditions in a legal contract that specify the price and also how and when payment must be made.

    Q: What are your company's terms? A: Net thirty, cash or check. [This answer means that the net total must be paid within 30 days; see Net D.]

  4. 4

    A limited or defined timespan.

    The term of a lease agreement is the period of time during which the lease is effective, and may be fixed, periodic, or of indefinite duration.

  5. 5

    Duration of officeholding, or its limit; period in office of fixed length.

    The president is almost half way through his term.

  6. 6

    The time during which legal courts are open.

  7. 7

    Certain days on which rent is paid.

  8. 8

    Part of a year, especially one of the divisions of an academic year.

    At our school, sports day was always held at the end of the summer term.

  9. 9

    informalA computer program that emulates a physical terminal.

  10. 10

    One whose employment has been terminated

verb

  1. 1

    To phrase a certain way; to name or call.

  2. 2

    informalTo terminate someone's employment.

  3. 3

    informalTo delete someone's account.

adjective

  1. 1

    colloquialBorn or delivered at term.

    term neonate

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Term in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchlimite (limitation, restriction or regulation), terme, mot, expression (word or phrase, especially one from a…), durée (period of time, time limit), mandat (period in office or prison)
GermanKlausel (limitation, restriction or regulation), Begriff, Bezeichnung, Terminus (word or phrase, especially one from a…), Frist (period of time, time limit), Amtszeit (period in office or prison)
Portuguesetermo (limitation, restriction or regulation), prazo (period of time, time limit)
Spanishtérminos, condiciones (limitation, restriction or regulation), término, vocablo (word or phrase, especially one from a…), plazo (period of time, time limit)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does term come from?

From Middle English terme, borrowed from Old French terme, from Latin terminus (“a bound, boundary, limit, end; in Medieval Latin, also a time, period, word, covenant, etc.”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *térmn̥ (“stump, end, boundary”). Doublet of terminus and termon.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after term