terminate
/ˈtɜːmɪneɪt/ IELTSAcademic
verb
General use
- They had to terminate the agreement early.
- The company will terminate my contract.
- We need to terminate this discussion.
Adinary Nuance
Distinguish terminate from its near-neighbors: cancel and end are softer and less final, while conclude often marks a planned finish. Use terminate for official, forceful, or permanent endings in formal contexts.
In other languages
- Spanish
- terminar
- Japanese
- 終わらせる
- Korean
- 종료하다
- Vietnamese
- chấm dứt
- Chinese
- 终止
Common phrases
terminate employmentterminate contractterminate the agreement
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is terminate formal or informal?
- It is formal and common in academic and professional writing.
- What's the difference between terminate and cancel?
- Use cancel to stop plans or events; use terminate for jobs, contracts, or processes.
- Is terminate used in business writing?
- Yes; it is widely used in business and legal contexts.
- How is terminate different from end?
- Use end to finish naturally; use terminate when the ending is official or complete.