terminal
TUR-muh-nuhl
/ˈtɜːrmɪnl/
A large building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the aircraft.
Refers specifically to the overall building complex serving arriving and departing passengers, distinct from individual boarding concourses.
The story behind the word. The word comes from Latin 'terminus', meaning a boundary or limit. In transport history, it originally meant the final station at the end of a railway line before expanding to describe airport passenger buildings.
Word relationships
- depot: Depot usually refers to train or bus stations rather than airports.
- station: Station is a broader term for land transport hubs.
Commonly confused with
- concourse: A terminal is the entire building; a concourse is a specific hall or passageway inside it leading to gates.
Word family
- terminate (verb): To bring or come to an end.
- termination (noun): The act of ending something.
Collocations
- international terminal
- passenger terminal
- terminal building
- terminal transfer
Example sentences
- "The international terminal at the airport was renovated to accommodate larger double-decker aircraft." Airport navigation
- "Passengers taking connecting flights must transfer to Terminal 2 via the express monorail." Transit announcement
Memory hook
Think of 'terminate'—a terminal is where your land journey terminates and your flight begins. The end of the land, the start of the sky.
When not to use
Do not confuse with the runway or tarmac where airplanes park and take off.
Fun facts
- Singapore Changi Airport's Terminal 5, opening in the 2030s, will handle 50 million passengers annually by itself.
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