terminal velocity
- noun
- /ˈtɜrmɪnəl vəˈlɒsɪti/
- Jargon
:
velocidad terminal
- The platform's user base reached terminal velocity, with signups and engagement plateauing despite heavy marketing.
Examples
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After several strong quarters the company hit terminal velocity and growth stabilized near its maximum.
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Investors cheered when revenue climbed quickly, then worried as the startup approached terminal velocity.
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The startup reached its terminal velocity after two years of rapid growth.
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What is the terminal velocity for this product line?
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The company's expansion reached terminal velocity after five years of aggressive growth, resulting in stabilized profits.
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Once the app reached terminal velocity, further updates failed to increase its user engagement.
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After rapid initial sales, the business experienced terminal velocity, indicating it had maximized its market potential.
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal meanings of 'terminal' (final) and 'velocity' (speed/rate) combine to give the sense of a final or maximum speed, so a learner who knows the parts can partly predict a meaning about a limit on rate. However, the business/figurative use (maximum sustainable growth) requires a metaphorical mapping from physics to growth, which is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without exposure.
Etymology
Terminal velocity used in business borrows the same picture of a fall: something speeds up until it cannot go faster. The word terminal means 'final' and velocity means 'speed'. So when a company or product grows quickly and then levels off, people call that its 'maximum rate of growth'.