ending

[ en-ding ]

noun

1. a bringing or coming to an end; termination; close:

   Putting away the Christmas ornaments marked the ending of the season.

2. the final or concluding part; conclusion:

   a story with a happy ending.

3. death; destruction.
4. Grammar. a morpheme, especially an inflection, at the end of a word, as -s in cuts.
5. (not in technical use) any final word part, as the -ow of widow.

ending

/ ˈɛndɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of bringing to or reaching an end
2. the last part of something, as a book, film, etc
3. the final part of a word, esp a suffix
4. chess another word for endgame

Other Words From

• un·ending adjective
• un·ending·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ending¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English endyng, Old English endung; equivalent to end ¹ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

A new ending to “Popular” allows Grande to light up the screen, twirling and kicking to the finish line of one of the musical’s most adored cuts.

From Salon

Shelters and rescues save them, but happy endings require more.

From Los Angeles Times

Great Britain missing out on a first Billie Jean King Cup final for 43 years "stings", but Katie Boulter believes the team are close to ending their wait for glory.

From BBC

They also appear in the film's ending where Glinda shows Dorothy she can go home if she closes her eyes and clicks the slippers' heels together.

From BBC

“When we watched video of him, the interesting thing was when he was scoring goals, he was constantly ending up inside the box,” Vanney said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• closure
• completion
• denouement
• finale
• outcome
• period
• resolution

More About Ending

What is an ending?

An ending is a conclusion, as in I like stories with a happy ending.

An ending is also a time when something is finishing or nearing completion, as in I’m ending my school career with all As. 

An ending is the opposite of a beginning and is used to mean the conclusion of something. Movies have endings. So do civilizations, like the Roman Empire. We even sometimes refer to a person’s death as an ending. Endings and the reasons or events surrounding them are often intensely studied or debated.

Example: I liked the book until the terrible ending where the villain won in the last chapter.

Where does ending come from?

The first records of the term ending come from before the year 1000. It ultimately comes from the Old English endung. Ending combines the verb end, meaning “to finalize or complete,” and the suffix -ing, which turns a verb into a noun that expresses action. An ending is the point at which something is performing a last action or when something is reaching its finish.

Ending is the final moments or period of time when something is finishing. For example, the last inning of a baseball game is the game’s ending. An ending can be long or short. It is sometimes unclear when an ending begins, such as with empires or kingdoms that last hundreds or thousands of years.

Ending is sometimes used to mean “end,” but the two words mean slightly different things. Typically, an end is the exact point at which something is over, while an ending can be a longer period of time during which something is concluding.

For example, when someone says “the end of a book” they usually mean the final chapter or final paragraph. However, the ending of a book could mean several chapters, depending on how long the conclusion takes.

This is the reason that we say “the end of the road” when we mean the point where the road stops.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to ending?

• unending (adjective)
• unendingly (adverb)

What are some synonyms for ending?

• conclusion
• completion
• finish
• outcome
• resolution

What are some words that share a root or word element with ending? 

 

• end
• endpoint
• never-ending

What are some words that often get used in discussing ending?

• beginning
• book
• chapter
• movie
• death

What are some words ending may be commonly confused with?

• end

How is ending used in real life?

Ending is an extremely common word that refers to the time that something is concluding or finishing.

How 2020 started How it's ending pic.twitter.com/htAn99lmua

— byweff 🎄HAPPY YULETIDE🎄 (@byletri) December 22, 2020

that 800 years is pretty important. i'd say the time of the ending of the roman empire is a pretty damn important part of history

— 🌙 VVitch of FANGmar 🌙 (@gwrthryfel) August 15, 2013

1.445 million vinyl albums were sold in the US in the week ending December 17, marking the biggest vinyl sales week in Soundscan history. #1 seller was @taylorswift13’s ‘folklore'.

— chart data (@chartdata) December 22, 2020

 

 

Try using ending!

Which of the following is most likely to contain the ending of a novel?

A. the first chapter
B. the middle chapters
C. the last chapter