Terms — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb plural noun noun phrase phrase /ˈtərm/

Meaning & Definition of Terms

Terms (noun)

  1. a word or expression that has a precise meaning in some uses or is peculiar to a science, art, profession, or subject
  2. expression of a specified kind
  3. a limited or definite extent of time; especially, the time for which something lasts, duration, tenure

Terms (verb)

  1. to apply a term to, call, name

Terms (plural noun)

  1. the legal terms that set forth the nature, scope, and limits of a service (such as one offered through a website or an app) and the rules that the service's users must agree to follow —abbreviation TOS
  2. the form of a fraction in which the numerator and denominator have no factor in common except 1

Terms (noun phrase)

  1. a description of what must be dealt with and considered when something is being done, studied, etc.

Terms (phrase)

  1. to compel to agree, assent, or submit
  2. to reach an agreement —often used with with
  3. to become adjusted especially emotionally or intellectually —usually used with with
  4. with respect to or in relation to
  5. in accordance with one's wishes, in one's own way
  6. to have a close relationship, to be close friends

Terms (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a fixed period of time during which a person holds a job or position

    "elected for a two-year term as mayor"

    similar: hitches, stints, tenures, tours
    related: shifts, watches, goes, turns, durations, standings, times, cycles, spans, spells, stretches, life spans, lifetimes, lives, runs

  2. a pronounceable series of letters having a distinct meaning especially in a particular field

    "what's the term for the odd feeling that you've experienced an event before?"

    similar: expressions, words
    related: linguistic forms, monosyllables, morphemes, speech forms, polysyllables, collocations, idioms, locutions, phrases, archaisms, coinages, colloquialisms, euphemisms, loanwords, modernisms, neologisms, vernacularisms

Terms (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give a name to

    "the armed forces began a rescue mission termed Operation In and Out"

    similar: baptizes, calls, christens, clepes (archaic), denominates, designates, dubs, entitles, labels, names, nominates, styles, titles
    related: brands, stigmatizes, tags, denotes, specifies, miscalls, misnames, mistitles, code-names, nicknames, rechristens, relabels, renames, surnames

Related Entry: Term (noun)

Term is a different word from Terms. The synonyms below are for term, not for terms.

  1. a fixed period of time during which a person holds a job or position

    "elected for a two-year term as mayor"

    similar: hitch, stint, tenure, tour
    related: shift, watch, go, turn, duration, standing, time, cycle, span, spell, stretch, life, lifespan, lifetime, run

  2. a pronounceable series of letters having a distinct meaning especially in a particular field

    "what's the term for the odd feeling that you've experienced an event before?"

    similar: expression, word
    related: linguistic form, monosyllable, morpheme, speech form, polysyllable, collocation, idiom, locution, phrase, coinage, colloquialism, euphemism, loanword, modernism, neologism, vernacularism

Related Entry: Term (verb)

Term is a different word from Terms. The synonyms below are for term, not for terms.

  1. to give a name to

    "the armed forces began a rescue mission termed Operation In and Out"

    similar: baptize, call, christen, clepe (archaic), denominate, designate, dub, entitle, label, name, nominate, style, title
    related: brand, stigmatize, tag, denote, specify, miscall, misname, mistitle, code-name, nickname, rechristen, relabel, rename, surname

Related Entry: Come to terms (phrase)

Come to terms is a different word from Terms. The synonyms below are for come to terms, not for terms.

  1. to come to an arrangement as to a course of action

    "Once the two sides came to terms, a written agreement was drawn up for their signatures."

    similar: agree, bargain, contract, covenant, strike a bargain
    related: come around, come round, subscribe, underwrite, arrange, settle
    opposite: disagree
    near: differ, dissent, cancel, renege, revoke, argue, contest, dispute, object

Related Entry: Came to terms (phrase)

Came to terms is a different word from Terms. The synonyms below are for came to terms, not for terms.

  1. to come to an arrangement as to a course of action

    "Once the two sides came to terms, a written agreement was drawn up for their signatures."

    similar: agreed, bargained, contracted, covenanted, struck a bargain
    related: came around, came round, subscribed, underwrote, arranged, settled
    opposite: disagreed
    near: differed, dissented, canceled, reneged, revoked, argued, contested, disputed, objected

Related Entry: Comes to terms (phrase)

Comes to terms is a different word from Terms. The synonyms below are for comes to terms, not for terms.

  1. to come to an arrangement as to a course of action

    "Once the two sides came to terms, a written agreement was drawn up for their signatures."

    similar: agrees, bargains, contracts, covenants, strikes a bargain
    related: comes around, comes round, subscribes, underwrites, arranges, settles
    opposite: disagrees
    near: differs, dissents, cancels, reneges, revokes, argues, contests, disputes, objects

Related Entry: Coming to terms (phrase)

Coming to terms is a different word from Terms. The synonyms below are for coming to terms, not for terms.

  1. to come to an arrangement as to a course of action

    "Once the two sides came to terms, a written agreement was drawn up for their signatures."

    similar: agreeing, bargaining, contracting, covenanting, striking a bargain
    related: coming around, coming round, subscribing, underwriting, arranging, settling
    opposite: disagreeing
    near: differing, dissenting, canceling, reneging, revoking, arguing, contesting, disputing, objecting

Related Entry: Bring (verb)

Bring is a different word from Terms. The synonyms below are for bring, not for terms.

  1. to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

    "in the end, the lawsuit brought distress to everyone, including the plaintiff"

    similar: beget, breed, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effect, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, invoke, make, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield, bring forth, give rise to
    related: conduce (to), contribute (to), decide, determine, begin, establish, father, found, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, set, set up, start, advance, cultivate, develop, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote, enact, render, turn out
    near: impede, limit, restrict, clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, dampen, put down, quash, quell, repress, smother, squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress, arrest, check, control, curb, inhibit, rein (in), restrain, retard, can (slang), kill, snuff (out), still, abolish, demolish, destroy, extinguish, liquidate, quench

  2. to cause (someone) to agree with a belief or course of action by using arguments or earnest request

    "nothing will ever bring her to admit she's wrong"

    similar: argue, bring around, convert, convince, gain, get, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over)
    related: blandish, blarney, cajole, coax, entreat, exhort, fast-talk, urge, wheedle, allure, beguile, lead on, lure, seduce, snow, tempt, brainwash, overpersuade, incline, influence, prompt, sell, sway, attract, draw, entice, interest, chew over, converse, debate, discuss, dispute, hash (over), moot, reason (with)
    near: deter, discourage, dissuade, unsell

  3. to have a price of

    "the antique will probably bring at least $1000 at auction"

    similar: cost, fetch, go (for), run, sell (for)
    related: list (for), amount (to), come (to), total, command, exact, ask, demand

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Terms

The most common words with a similar meaning to Terms:

Archaic: clepes
hitches, stints, tenures, tours, expressions, words, baptizes, calls, christens, denominates, designates, dubs, entitles, labels, names, nominates, styles, titles

Related Words for Terms

shifts, watches, goes, turns, durations, standings, times, cycles, spans, spells, stretches, life spans, lifetimes, lives, runs, linguistic forms, monosyllables, morphemes, speech forms, polysyllables, collocations, idioms, locutions, phrases, archaisms, coinages, colloquialisms, euphemisms, loanwords, modernisms

Word Forms of Terms

Inflections: termed, terming

Origin & Etymology of Terms

Middle English terme, from Anglo-French, from Latin terminus boundary marker, limit; akin to Greek termōn boundary, end, Sanskrit tarman top of a post

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Terms

Words & Phrases Containing Terms

terms of service, terms of reference, bring to terms, come to terms, in terms of, lowest terms, on one's own terms, be on intimate terms

Frequently Asked Questions about Terms

What does "Terms" mean?

"Terms" means a word or expression that has a precise meaning in some uses or is peculiar to a science, art, profession, or subject. As an a noun, a verb, a plural noun, a noun phrase and a phrase, it is defined as: a word or expression that has a precise meaning in some uses or is peculiar to a science, art, profession, or subject. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Terms"?

Other words for "Terms" include hitches, stints, tenures, tours, expressions, words, baptizes and calls. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Terms" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Terms"?

There are 65 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Terms". Common alternatives include hitches, stints, tenures, tours, expressions, words, baptizes, calls, christens and clepes.

How do you use "Terms" in a sentence?

Examples of "Terms" in a sentence: "elected for a two-year term as mayor"; "what's the term for the odd feeling that you've experienced an event before?"; "the armed forces began a rescue mission termed Operation In and Out".

Is "Terms" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Terms" can be used as a noun, a verb, a plural noun, a noun phrase and a phrase, depending on the context.

Is "Terms" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Terms" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Terms"?

"Terms" is pronounced /ˈtərm/.

What is the origin of the word "Terms"?

"Terms" comes from Middle English terme, from Anglo-French, from Latin terminus boundary marker, limit; akin to Greek termōn boundary, end, Sanskrit tarman top of a post. First known use: 13th century.