terms

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of term.

   The two sides could not agree on the terms of the ceasefire.

   Mathematicians often simplify an equation by combining like terms.

   Note

   A plural that gathers several different singulars under one spelling. In an agreement, the terms are its binding conditions. In a sale, the word narrows to the price and to how and when payment is made. Elsewhere it means limits or boundaries, or the words of a specialized field. The same spelling also serves as the verb meaning "calls", and position in the sentence tells them apart.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of term.

   The critic terms the film a masterpiece despite its flaws.

   Her thesis terms the period a cultural turning point.

   Note

   Here the verb names or labels something, and it usually takes two pieces after it: an object and the name given to it, as in the critic terms the film a masterpiece. A singular subject needs the -s, while plural subjects take plain term. In informal use the same form can also mean someone fires a person or deletes their account.

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