Make Your Point > Archived Issues > TERMLESS
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I bet you can list several relatives of the word termless. Think of a word with "term" in it, and you've probably found one! Let's see: we've got term, of course, and terminal, determine, terminology, exterminate... and the Terminator! All of these words, in one way or another, help you define things, limit things, or mark the edges or ends of things.
Our English word "term" traces back to the Latin terminus, meaning "an end, a limit, or a boundary line."
Part of speech:
Pick the rare but easily understood word "termless" when you want to sound lofty and poetic, even dramatic. Let's explore its three senses.
"I was a journalist in the southern Sudan in the mid-1970s, and have followed the tragedy of that sad land ever since. Let me tell you: The gold has been flowing from Saudi Arabia since this termless war started in 1955."
Explain the three meanings of "termless" without saying "infinite," "unnamed," or "unconditional."
"Termless" makes for a dramatic, unexpected synonym of "interminable." Let's use it to complain about something that seems to go on forever and ever.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
1.
Opposites of TERMLESS include
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