destination
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words refer to places along or at the end of a journey, but they differ in scope and finality. Destination is the broadest — it simply means the place you are heading to, whether for travel or delivery (e.g., "Tokyo was our final destination"). Stop is less formal and suggests a pause on the way, not necessarily the end point ("We made a quick stop for lunch"). Venue is narrower: it refers specifically to the location of an event such as a concert, conference, or wedding ("The wedding venue was a castle in the hills"). Terminus is the most formal and final — it marks the absolute end of a route, especially for trains and buses ("The bus reached its terminus at the station"). For everyday travel, use destination for where you end up; use stop for intermediate points; use venue for events; and use terminus for official route-end points.
Common collocations
Etymology
Destination comes from Latin 'destinatio', meaning 'the act of determining or fixing', from 'destinare' ('to determine, establish, make fast'). It entered English through Old French in the 14th century, initially carrying a sense of 'appointment or purpose'. The modern meaning of 'the place a journey ends' developed by the 16th century, while the abstract sense of 'ultimate goal' emerged in the 17th century as writers extended the metaphor of a physical journey to life, plans, and policies.