Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “terminate” come from?

Terminate comes from Latin terminatus, past participle of terminō, derived from terminus meaning boundary or limit, from the Proto-Indo-European root ter- meaning to cross or pass through.

terminate (English): To end, especially in an incomplete state; To set...

Definitions

  1. To end, especially in an incomplete state; To set...

Ancestry of “terminate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinterminatusmarked off , bounded, limited; defined, fixed,...
2LatinterminoI mark off , set bounds to; bound, limit; I...
3Latinterminusa boundary, limit, end
4Proto-Indo-Europeanter-tender, weak; young creature
5Italiantermineend, close; limit, term, date, time; term, word

Words derived from “terminate”

  • terminated
  • terminating
  • nonterminating
  • terminative
  • unterminated
  • nonterminated
  • interminate
  • terminatively
  • interminated
  • nonterminative
  • terminateth
  • antiterminate
  • terminatable
Every word from Italian termine →