terminally
Americanadverb
-
in a way that leads or is expected to lead shortly to death; fatally or lethally.
We offer care and support for terminally ill people and their families through home nursing.
-
Informal. in a way that is beyond hope or rescue.
I skipped her much-hyped interview with the terminally dull host of that new talk show.
-
at the end.
In the remark “Pretty hot today, eh?” the terminally positioned tag “eh?” invites agreement.
-
Botany. at the end of a branch or stem.
The plant has flower clusters 10–20 mm in diameter, which are located terminally.
-
Biology. at the conclusion of the process of modification from a stem cell.
The cells terminally differentiate as they migrate from the basal layer of the epidermis to the surface.
Other Word Forms
- nonterminally adverb
- subterminally adverb
Etymology
Origin of terminally
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A law to allow terminally ill adults the right to choose to end their own lives has been approved in Jersey.
From BBC
Chief executive Sarah Wootton said that the fact that every year "up to 650 terminally ill people end their own lives, often in lonely and traumatic ways," proved the need for reform.
From BBC
After an emotional debate, the Senedd has given its consent for Westminster legislation that would allow terminally ill people to obtain a medically assisted death.
From BBC
The mother of a terminally ill teenager says she supports an assisted dying law in the UK to avoid him being forced to leave home and end his life abroad.
From BBC
Barabak: The criticism of this collective field is that it’s terminally boring, as if we’re looking to elect a stand-up comic, a chanteuse or a juggler.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
