Terminal
Relating to the end or final part; also describing an illness that cannot be cured and will lead to death (terminal illness).
adjectiveTerminal
Relating to the end or final part; also describing an illness that cannot be cured and will lead to death (terminal illness).
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine arriving at a large airport terminal—the final stop of your journey where your plane finally lands. In another scene, a doctor explains that a patient has a terminal illness, meaning there is no cure and the condition will eventually cause death.
Sounds Like
TERM-uh-nuhl
Looks Like
Looks like term + inal (term = end; -inal = relating to).
Remember This
Etymology: from Latin terminus 'end' (root term-). In modern usage, terminal also appears in computing as a device at the end of a communication line.
Other Forms
Connect With
end, final, terminus, concluding, last, conclude
Note
Do not confuse with 'term' (a word or a fixed period) or with 'terminal velocity' in physics, which uses the word in a specialized sense. As a noun, terminal refers to a transportation hub; as an adjective, it describes the final or incurable stage.