terminated

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparableformal

   Brought to a definite end, such as a contract, a pregnancy, a journey or a process.

   Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb: the terminated contract; the contract was terminated.

   Patterns

   • terminated by someone

   The terminated contract left the supplier with no further obligation.

   The flight was terminated early because of the storm.

   Only terminated accounts will be removed from the list.

2. 2adjectiveafter a verbbusinesseuphemistic

   Dismissed from a job by an employer.

   Grammar: Often follows be or get: she was terminated.

   Patterns

   • be terminated for something

   He was terminated after the audit found missing funds.

   Two terminated employees filed a complaint with the labor board.

   If you are terminated without notice, you may be owed severance.

Common combinations

terminated employee

A terminated employee must return the laptop on the last day.

terminated contract

The terminated contract cannot be renewed.

be terminated for cause

He was terminated for cause after repeated violations.

abruptly terminated

The program was abruptly terminated last spring.

terminated early

The lease was terminated early by mutual agreement.

Synonyms and how they differ

ended

Ended is the ordinary everyday word and fits any situation, whereas terminated sounds official and often implies a deliberate decision.

fired

Fired is blunt and informal for job loss, while terminated is the softer, more corporate way to say it.

cancelled

Cancelled suits events, plans and subscriptions that will no longer happen, while terminated usually applies to something already underway being stopped.

dismissed

Dismissed is common in British workplaces and also in courts, and is a little more formal than fired but less clinical than terminated.

Opposites

Word family

terminate verb

to bring or come to an end

termination noun

the act of ending something

terminal adjective

relating to an end, or to an illness that will cause death

terminator noun

someone or something that ends something

Commonly confused: terminated or exterminated?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “terminated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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