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terminal point

terminal point

6.3
The last point of a path, journey, or process
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : punto terminal
  • It's just the simple array of translations with lattice points that we can put at the terminal point of these translations.

Examples

  • The journey ended at the terminal point of the train line, where passengers disembarked and collected their luggage.

  • So this would be the terminal point of our little baby vector U.

  • So we have a vector with initial point P and terminal point Q, OK.

  • So we have our line PQ that's initial and that's your terminal point, right?

  • Now remember what we've talked about so far with directed line segments is we can call our initial point P and our terminal point Q, right?

  • The terminal point of the inexorable processes described by Bromley and King would be a radical rupture with the social domain.

    Academic text (2017)
  • But even at the terminal point of a protracted, harsh, and humiliating punishment, the identities of the subjects of dissection in Hogarth's picture remain intact.

    Academic text (2017)
  • In geometry, the terminal point of a vector is its endpoint, which indicates the direction and magnitude.

  • The hiker finally reached the terminal point of the trail, marking the end of their long and exhausting trek.

Synonyms

end
vsterminal point
1.0

The final part of something, like an event or story

is narrower in use, appearing in technical maths and transport situations
end of the line
vsterminal point
47 4.1

The point when something stops or finishes

is a neutral technical term used more in maths and transport fields
terminal
vsterminal point
  • Specialized
20 5.7

The end of a wire or a point where an electric connection is made

is similar in finality but is focused on maths and transport contexts
endpoint
vsterminal point
11 5.4

A place or time when something ends

is preferred in technical fields like mathematics and transport for final positions
terminus
vsterminal point
7 6.9

The final station at the end of a bus or train route

covers that transport sense but also applies in mathematical contexts
termination
vsterminal point
3 5.5

The end point of something like a road or tunnel

is applied more in technical maths and transport contexts than general use
stopping point
vsterminal point
1 3.1

A time when an activity or event ends

is more technical and often used in maths or transport descriptions
end point
vsterminal point
1 3.9

The place or moment when something finishes

is used especially in mathematics and transport as a technical final marker
terminus ad quem
vsterminal point
  • Formal
9.9

The last date when something must happen

is broader, used commonly in maths and transport rather than legal limits

Surface Forms

Morphology

terminal + point

The meaning 'final or end point' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'terminal' (occurring at a final stage) with 'point' (a specific position or stage). This straightforward compositional noun phrase follows common cross-linguistic logic, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The compound noun terminal point comes from the image of a travel terminal and a single point. A terminal is a station where buses or trains begin or finish and a point is a tiny spot, so a terminal point is the exact 'final' place of a route or process.