Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

terminate with extreme prejudice

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.39 in modern English

Syllables: ter-mi-nate with- ex-treme prej-u-dice
IPA

58

Scrabble Score

29

Letters

7

Syllables

15

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To murder; to assassinate.

American usage

Example Sentences

"The government ordered the spies to be terminated with extreme prejudice: they did not want them to expose what they knew in a public trial."
"...suggested that he either be isolated or ‘terminated with extreme prejudice.’ This term is said to be an intelligence euphemism for execution."
"Colonel Lucas: ... When you find the Colonel, infiltrate his team by whatever means available and terminate the Colonel's command. Willard: Terminate the Colonel? ... Civilian: Terminate with extreme prejudice."

Etymology

First appears c. 1969. Derives from US military intelligence and CIA documents, in news coverage of the Green Beret Case, and further popularized in the movie Apocalypse Now (1979). A play on the term terminate with prejudice when an employee’s employment is terminated, meaning will not rehire employee to same position in future (i.e., prejudiced against rehiring), hence terminate definitively, i.e., kill.

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

terminates with extreme prejudice (present, singular) terminating with extreme prejudice (participle, present) terminated with extreme prejudice (participle, past) terminated with extreme prejudice (past)

Derived Forms

tweep

Phrases

extreme prejudice with prejudice without prejudice wet work

Frequently Paired Words

with prejudice without prejudice wet work assassination

Questions

What does terminate with extreme prejudice mean?: To murder; to assassinate.
Where does terminate with extreme prejudice come from?: First appears c. 1969. Derives from US military intelligence and CIA documents, in news coverage of the Green Beret Case, and further popularized in the movie Apocalypse Now (1979). A play on the term terminate with prejudice when an employee’s employment is terminated, meaning will not rehire employee to same position in future (i.e., prejudiced against rehiring), hence terminate definitively, i.e., kill.

How to pronounce terminate with extreme prejudice

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “terminate with extreme prejudice”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “terminate with extreme prejudice”.
Repeat and practice — Say “terminate with extreme prejudice” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.