had terminated

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had terminated" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in the past perfect tense to indicate that an action was completed before another action in the past. Example: "By the time the meeting started, the contract had terminated, leaving us without a legal agreement."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Mr. Goldberg confirmed that A.I.G. had terminated Qorvis.

The New York Times

Acorn said it had terminated the workers involved.

The New York Times

Death had terminated the revelation embodied in the Qurʾān.

Encyclopedia Britannica

In June, SCO said that it had terminated I.B.M.'s right to market AIX.

The New York Times

Take the Midwestern woman who had terminated an affair years earlier with a married man.

The New York Times

In June, Walgreens said it had terminated its partnership with the blood-testing startup effective immediately.

The Guardian - Tech

In a statement yesterday, the Firm said it had "terminated our professional relationship" with her.

The New York Times - Arts

The parent company, Farm Family insurance, had terminated him; he was terminating her.

The New York Times

Newport later put out a statement saying they had terminated Zebroski's contract.

The Guardian - Sport

SmartForce added that it had terminated its agreement to buy Centra Software.

The New York Times

The company said it had terminated his position "for cause" after an internal investigation.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had terminated" to clearly indicate that an action of ending something was completed before another point in the past. For example, "By the time the investigation began, the company had terminated the employee."

Common error

Avoid using "had terminated" when a simple past tense ("terminated") is sufficient. The past perfect is necessary only when clarifying the sequence of two past events.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had terminated" functions as a past perfect verb phrase. It describes an action that was completed before another action in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Academia

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had terminated" is a past perfect verb phrase used to indicate that an action of ending something was completed before another point in the past. Ludwig confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and very common, particularly in news and media, as well as scientific contexts. When writing, it's important to use the past perfect tense correctly, only when clarifying the sequence of two past events. Alternative phrasing includes "had ended" or "had concluded".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had ended

Focuses on the cessation of something, often used interchangeably with "had terminated".

had concluded

Implies a formal ending or resolution, suggesting a sense of finality.

had finished

Emphasizes the completion of an action or process.

had discontinued

Suggests the action of stopping something, particularly a service or product.

had ceased

Indicates a more formal and absolute ending, often implying a permanent stop.

had canceled

Implies that something planned was stopped before it happened.

had revoked

Signifies the act of officially taking back or nullifying something, like a license or privilege.

had invalidated

Implies making something no longer legally or officially acceptable.

had repealed

Used in legal contexts, meaning to officially revoke a law or act.

had nullified

Similar to invalidated, but often used when discussing agreements or contracts.

FAQs

How do I use "had terminated" in a sentence?

Use "had terminated" to indicate that an action was completed before another action in the past. For example: "By the time the meeting started, the contract "had terminated", leaving us without a legal agreement."

What are some alternatives to "had terminated"?

You can use alternatives like "had ended", "had concluded", or "had finished" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "terminated" instead of "had terminated"?

It depends on the context. Use "terminated" for a simple past action. Use "had terminated" when you need to show that the termination happened before another event in the past.

What's the difference between "had terminated" and "was terminated"?

"Had terminated" is in the past perfect active voice, indicating someone performed the action of terminating. "Was terminated" is in the past simple passive voice, indicating someone received the action of being terminated.