Meanings
- The lower limit of dating, as of the earliest plausible date at which a fact could have occurred or a document could have been written.
Synonyms: terminus post quem · Antonyms: terminus ante quem
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe lower limit of dating, as of the earliest plausible date at which a fact could have occurred or a document could have been written.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinterminus a quo
- Englishterminus a quo
Borrowed from Latin terminus a quo (literally, "the limit from which").
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
terminus a quo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/terminus%20a%20quo
“terminus a quo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/terminus%20a%20quo. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “terminus a quo,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/terminus%20a%20quo.
Source: terminus a quo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.