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Cease vs Terminate - What's the difference?

cease | terminate |

Terminate is a synonym of cease.



As verbs the difference between cease and terminate

is that cease is to stop while terminate is to end, especially in an incomplete state.

As an adjective terminate is

terminated; limited; bounded; ended.

cease

English

Verb

(ceas)
  • (formal) To stop.
  • And with that, his twitching ceased .
  • (formal) To stop doing (something).
  • And with that, he ceased twitching.
  • (obsolete) To be wanting; to fail; to pass away.
  • * Bible, Deuteronomy xv. 11
  • The poor shall never cease out of the land.

    terminate

    English

    Verb

    (terminat)
  • To end, especially in an incomplete state.
  • * J. S. Harford
  • To kill.
  • To end the employment contract of an employee; to fire, lay off.
  • Synonyms

    * (to end incompletely) discontinue, stop, break off * (to kill) See also

    Antonyms

    * (to end incompletely) continue

    See also

    * abort

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Terminated; limited; bounded; ended.
  • Having a definite and clear limit or boundary; having a determinate size, shape or magnitude.
  • (label) Expressible in a finite number of terms; (of a decimal) not recurring or infinite.
  • References

    *

    Anagrams

    * English ergative verbs ----