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term is one of the 1000 most common headwords.





  1. (countable) A term is a word or group of words, usually one with a special meaning in a particular field or area.
    They didn't know the meaning of the technical terms the doctor was using.
    What is the definition of this term?
    At age 10, she only knew that it was a term of abuse, a swear word.
    She spoke in glowing terms about the progress they had made.
  2. (plural) You use "in terms of" to introduce a topic or subject.
    Simply spending more money is not useful in terms of getting people back to work.
    In terms of both numbers of people and size, California is one of the largest States in America.
  3. (plural) If you talk about something in general/economic/human, etc. terms, you talk about it from that point of view.
    The changes are great in dollar terms, but the human cost is too high.
  4. (countable) A term is a period of time.
    The President of Mexico is limited to serving a single term of six years.
    He faces a maximum prison term of 15 years and $8.5 million in fines
    The price may be up and down, but over the long term it will certainly rise.
    The period of employment comes to term in three years.
    She carried the baby to term.
  5. (countable) A term is one of the times of year when school classes are held, usually September to December and January to April or June, also June to August.
  6. (countable) (mathematics) A term is a number or symbol in a formula.
    The equation only worked when we included an extra constant term.
  7. (plural) If you compare money or numbers in real terms, you compare the value on an equal basis.
    Today we are paying less for gasoline in real terms than we have at any time since 1918.
    Although the absolute number of trucking accidents is up slightly, they are down 10 percent in the decade in real terms .
  8. (plural) If you come to terms with something that is not nice, you accept it.
    He hasn't come to terms with the fact that she's not coming back.
  9. (usually plural) (law) The terms of a contract or purchase are its rules, conditions and limits.
    The company has announced generally agreement on a new contract though the exact terms still have to be worked out.
    Under the terms of the purchase, we get the house on July 14th.
  10. (plural) If two or more people or groups are on good/equal/bad etc. terms, they have a relationship that is good/equal/bad etc.
  11. (plural) If two or more people or groups are on speaking terms, they are not close but do speak to each other.



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Present participle

  1. (transitive) If you term something a particular name or description, you give that name or description to it.
    The 1980s have been termed "The Forgotten Decade" by rock fans.
    White House Spokesman Marlin Fitzwater termed the GNP growth "moderately healthy".
    For lack of a better word, you might term it a police state.