terminer

Terminer is a French verb meaning to finish, end, or bring to an end. It can refer to completing a task, concluding an activity, or bringing a state to a close. The term is used in everyday language as well as in more formal contexts.

Etymology and classification: Terminer comes from Old French terminer, itself from Latin terminare, from terminus meaning boundary or end. In French, it is a regular -er verb, part of the first conjugation. Its present indicative forms are je termine, tu termines, il/elle/on termine, nous terminons, vous terminez, ils/elles terminent. The past participle is terminé, used with auxiliary avoir in compound tenses (j’ai terminé).

Usage and meanings: Terminer can take a direct object, as in terminer quelque chose (to finish something), and can also be used intransitively in the pronominal form se terminer to indicate that something comes to an end (la réunion se termine à quatre heures). It can also appear in phrases like terminer par to end with or conclude with, and is often contrasted with synonyms like finir (to finish in a broader or more natural sense), achever (to complete or accomplish, sometimes more forcefully), and conclure (to conclude in a formal sense).

Examples: Nous devons terminer ce projet aujourd’hui. J’ai terminé mes devoirs. La journée se termine tranquillement.

See also: terminate (English cognate), finite, conclusion, ending.