What does "terminator" mean?
Someone who terminates or ends something, especially (in later use) an assassin or exterminator.
Terminator
/ˈtɜː.mɪ.neɪ.tə/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone who terminates or ends something, especially (in later use) an assassin or exterminator.
- Grammar: terminator is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: cessation, cyborg, cyborg assassin, delimiter.
- Useful contrasts: begin marker, beginning, founder.
- Usage evidence: I like the Terminator films because the special effects are fantastic.
How to use "terminator"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "terminator" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "terminator" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "terminator" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "terminator" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "terminator" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cessation" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "terminator", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone who terminates or ends something, especially (in later use) an assassin or exterminator.
- 2 someone who exterminates (especially someone whose occupation is the extermination of troublesome rodents and insects) wordnet
- 3 A text character or string that serves to mark the end of a document or transmission.
- 4 The line between the day side and the night side of a moon, planet or other celestial body.
"Harriot, looking at the moon, saw the irregular terminator, the highlights and shadows, the mountain ranges and valleys that Galileo had described – and he also convinced himself that he saw Galileo's imaginary crater."
- 5 A DNA sequence that causes RNA transcription to cease and an mRNA transcript to break off.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 An electrical device that absorbs reflection at the end of a transmission line.
- 7 An intelligent android created to destroy humans.
"Opposite of natural monsters there are technological monsters such as terminators, cyborgs, and robocops—all of which undermine dichotomies between the artificial and the organic, the prosthetic and the natural."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I like the Terminator films because the special effects are fantastic."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "terminator"?
Common synonyms include: cessation, cyborg, cyborg assassin, delimiter, end, end marker.
How do you use "terminator" in a sentence?
I like the Terminator films because the special effects are fantastic.
How do you pronounce "terminator"?
Pronounced /ˈtɜː.mɪ.neɪ.tə/.
Etymology
* Partly from post-classical Latin terminator (5th century), from Latin terminō; partly from terminate + -or. * (android that kills humans): After the 1984 film The Terminator.