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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
Also as a result of the 2018 agreement, the port closed another cruise terminal, the Maremagnum, and the area is now home to restaurants, bars, a sailing club and marina, an aquarium and a shopping mall. Jack Guy, CNN Money, 21 July 2025 Recently, my family and I were flying to Florida for a vacation, and the line to check bags at the Delta terminal was long and moving slowly. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 20 July 2025
Noun
Goldman Sachs currently anticipates three 25-basis-point cuts in September, October and December for a terminal rate of 3-3.25 percent. Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025 Primarily, the foundation aims to help families prepare as well as possible for the death of a parent who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Steve Madeley, New York Times, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for terminal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terminal
Adjective
  • Making it to the final round, Shell Shock'd was up against Tacos Wuey Detroit and a newcomer that recently opened in southwest Detroit.
    Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 29 July 2025
  • Ndoye was a regular for Bologna last season, scoring nine goals and providing six assists in 41 games and scoring the winning goal in the Coppa Italia final against Milan, winning the club’s first trophy in 51 years.
    Paul Taylor, New York Times, 28 July 2025
Adjective
  • The ruling came following a three-day hearing in which experts on both sides testified as to how Black's heart device would react under lethal injection.
    Kelly Puente, Nashville Tennessean, 19 July 2025
  • Citing the ongoing potential for lethal and destructive weather across the U.S., the Steve Miller Band has canceled its fall 2025 tour, including an Oct. 5 concert at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.
    Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2025
Noun
  • If these parts don't talk to each other in real time, even the best e-bus won't leave the depot on time.
    Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
  • The depot was built in 1897 and remodeled in 1925 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, according to its nomination to be on the National Register of Historic Places.
    Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 16 July 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • The man faces five criminal charges including unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.
    Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 31 July 2025
  • The clinic helps prevent the spread of this deadly disease in the U.S.
    Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
Adjective
  • Citywide as of July 14, homicides are down 21% compared with this time last year and 35% compared with 2023, according to city data.
    Andrea May Sahouri, Freep.com, 25 July 2025
  • The high school's five home games were played away last fall while the new bleachers remained under construction.
    Katie Nixon, The Tennessean, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • The 2024 case was not fatal, health department spokesperson Kimberly Harry indicated on July 28.
    Christina Hall, Freep.com, 29 July 2025
  • Simmons said very few improvements have been made to the highway, even as the fatal accidents continue to happen.
    Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • Highlife arose in the Fante coast of Ghana in the 19th century, where natives curated infectious polyrhythms through primarily brass instruments, local drums, guitars, the Akan Seprewa—some which derived from Caribbean soldiers and British military brass bands.
    Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • Kaiser consistently said that the particles were harmless, inert material dislodged by a malfunctioning water heater that was not infectious.
    Paul Sisson, Mercury News, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Terminal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terminal. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.

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