terminate
ter·mi·nate/ˈtɝmɪneɪ̯t/verb, adjective
terminate is spelled T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables (ter·mi·nate). It appears 4.5 times per million words in written English, the 12,045th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, terminate means “To end something, especially when left in an incomplete state” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in terminate?
| Letters | 9: T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: ter·mi·nate |
| In writing | 4.5 times per million words; the 12,045th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; 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 terminate?
Terminate appears 4.5 times per million words in written English, the 12,045th 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 terminate?
- UK /ˈtɜːmɪneɪ̯t/
- US /ˈtɝmɪneɪ̯t/
As an adjective (“Terminated; limited; bounded; ended”): /ˈtɝmɪnət/, /ˈtɜːmɪnət/.
Terminate has 3 syllables, split ter·mi·nate in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-terminate.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-terminate.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with terminate?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as terminate from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹmɪneɪt/):
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 terminate
- terminates present, singular, he/she/it
- terminating participle, present
- terminated participle, past
- more terminate comparative
- most terminate superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does terminate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To end something, especially when left in an incomplete state.
to terminate a process before its completion
- 2
To conclude.
- 3
To set or be a limit or boundary to.
to terminate a surface by a line
- 4
To form an appropriate end on (a wire, cable, hose, pipe, etc), such as by applying a cable terminal or a hose ferrule.
We'll rough them all in before we start terminating any of them.
- 5
To end the employment contract of an employee; to fire, lay off.
- 6
To kill someone or something.
The enemy must be terminated by any means possible.
- 7
To end, conclude, or cease; to come to an end.
- 8
Of a mode of transport, to end its journey; or, of a railway line, to reach its terminus.
This train terminates at the next station.
adjective
- 1
Terminated; limited; bounded; ended.
- 2
Having a definite and clear limit or boundary; having a determinate size, shape or magnitude.
Mountains on the Moon cast shadows that are very dark, terminate and more distinct than those cast by mountains on the Earth.
- 3
Expressible in a finite number of terms; (of a decimal) not recurring or infinite.
One third is a recurring decimal, but one half is a terminate decimal.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Terminate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | terminer |
| German | abbrechen, terminieren , entlassen |
| Portuguese | terminar , cancelar |
| Spanish | terminar , destituir, cesantear |
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 terminate come from?
From Middle English terminaten (“to bring to an end; to adjudicate; to end, stop; to border, confine, contain”) from terminat(e) (“bounded”, also used as the past participle of terminaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin terminātus, perfect passive participle of terminō (“to set bounds to, bound, limit, end, close, terminate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from terminus (“a bound, limit, end”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix); see term, terminus. Doublet of termine, cognate with French terminer.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).