in terms of

preposition

[Of one variable or unit of measurement which has a known relationship to another] Using equivalent expressions that use one variable in place of expressions involving the other.

“If x=2y then 5x can be expressed in terms of y as 10y.”

Meanings

preposition
  1. mathematics[Of one variable or unit of measurement which has a known relationship to another] Using equivalent expressions that use one variable in place of expressions involving the other.

    If x=2y then 5x can be expressed in terms of y as 10y.

  2. In relation to a particular aspect; with respect to; as regards; concerning; regarding.

    She has no idea how she wants the house to look in terms of décor.

    4 more examples

    I switched to a different bank for better customer service, but there was little difference in terms of interest rates.

    First we consider things people naturally think in terms of, and then represent them computationally.

    The fact is, "dad" is a designation you could assign – at least in terms of age – to many of Hollywood's biggest male actors.

    2021 February 9, Christina Newland, “Is Tom Hanks part of a dying breed of genuine movie stars?”, in BBC

    This is closely connected to “resource injustice”, i.e. the unilateral burden of learning the shared language in terms of time, energy and money[…].

    2022, Sabine Fiedler, Cyril Robert Brosch, “What is a lingua franca?” (chapter 2), in Esperanto – Lingua Franca and Language Community, John Benjamins Publishing Company, →DOI, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OL, page 11

    Synonyms: apropos, as for

  3. As an approach or way of proceeding.

    We had been thinking in terms of purchasing those notes on the market, since they were selling at a discount.

    1947, Committee on Banking and Currency, quoting Roy White, Proposed Extension of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation: Apr. 10-May 23, 1947, page 143
    1 more example

    Various groups throughout the country are thinking in terms of having a counter-demonstration in re the Fundamentalists' March to Return Morality to America.

    1979 December 29, Vern Hall-Smith, “Fundamentalists March”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 23, page 5

Synonyms & antonyms

prepositionIn relation to a particular aspect; with respect to; as regards; concerning; regarding.

Origin

Compare similar constructions with French en termes de and Italian in termini di.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic بِخُصُوص, فِيمَا يَتَعَلَّقُ بِـ
  • بِخُصُوص (biḵuṣūṣ)In relation to, concerning, regarding
  • فِيمَا يَتَعَلَّقُ بِـ (fi-mā yataʕallaqu bi-)In relation to, concerning, regarding
  • مِن نَاحِيَة (min nāḥiya)In relation to, concerning, regarding
  • مِن حَيْثُ (min ḥayṯu)In relation to, concerning, regarding
Chinese Mandarin 就...而言
  • 就...而言 (jiù... éryán)In relation to, concerning, regarding
Czech co do
  • co doIn relation to, concerning, regarding
Dutch betreffende, wat betreft
  • betreffendeIn relation to, concerning, regarding
  • wat betreftIn relation to, concerning, regarding
Finnish suhteen
  • suhteenIn relation to, concerning, regarding
French en termes de
  • en termes deIn relation to, concerning, regarding
German in Bezug auf, in Hinsicht auf
  • in Bezug aufIn relation to, concerning, regarding
  • in Hinsicht aufIn relation to, concerning, regarding
  • hinsichtlichIn relation to, concerning, regarding
  • bezüglichIn relation to, concerning, regarding
  • aus GründenIn relation to, concerning, regarding
  • unter dem AspektIn relation to, concerning, regarding
Hungarian vonatkozásában
  • vonatkozásábanIn relation to, concerning, regarding
Italian in termini di
  • in termini diIn relation to, concerning, regarding
Polish pod względem
  • pod względemIn relation to, concerning, regarding
Russian в отноше́нии, насчёт
  • в отноше́нии (v otnošénii)In relation to, concerning, regarding
  • насчёт (nasčót)In relation to, concerning, regarding
  • с то́чки зре́ния (s tóčki zrénija)In relation to, concerning, regarding
  • в пла́не (v pláne)In relation to, concerning, regarding
Cite this entry
APA

in terms of. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20terms%20of

MLA

“in terms of.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20terms%20of. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in terms of,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20terms%20of.

Source: in terms of on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.