(Definition of ending from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Noun ending (plural endings) A termination or conclusion. The last part of something.

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.

noun the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme) “I don't like words that have -ism as an ending ” synonyms: termination see more

You can refer to the last part of a book, story, play, or film as the ending, especially when you are considering the way that the story ends. The film has a Hollywood happy ending.

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026 end ing /ˈɛndɪŋ/ n. [countable] the final or concluding part; end: The best part of the book is the ending. Grammar a part at the end of a word, esp. a suffix, such as the -s in cuts.

ending (ˈɛndɪŋ) n 1. the act of bringing to or reaching an end 2. the last part of something, as a book, film, etc

Definition of ending noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

An ending refers to the final part, conclusion, or termination of something such as a book, movie, story, event, or a period of time. It indicates the point at which something ceases to continue or exist.