terminal building

Meaning

The main building at an airport where passengers buy tickets, check in luggage, go through security, and board planes. Large airports often have several terminal buildings connected by shuttles.

Examples

• Please make sure your taxi drops you off at the correct terminal building.

  Please make sure your taxi drops you off at the correct terminal building.

• The international terminal building has a lot of duty-free shops.

  The international terminal building has a lot of duty-free shops.

• A free shuttle bus runs between the domestic and international terminal buildings.

  A free shuttle bus runs between the domestic and international terminal buildings.

• We walked into the terminal building and immediately looked for the departures board.

  We walked into the terminal building and immediately looked for the departures board.

• The new terminal building is modern, spacious, and very easy to navigate.

  The new terminal building is modern, spacious, and very easy to navigate.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I am waiting for you at the airport station building.

  ✓ I am waiting for you at the terminal building.

  The word 'station' is used for trains and buses. For airports, the correct and natural term is 'terminal building' or simply 'terminal'.

• ✗ Which terminal house does our airline fly from?

  ✓ Which terminal building does our airline fly from?

  'Terminal building' is a fixed collocation in travel English; 'terminal house' is incorrect.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Our flight leaves from the international ___.

  💡 The large building where flights depart.

  Show answer

  terminal building

• You can take a train to get from one ___ to another.

  💡 Airport structure for passengers.

  Show answer

  terminal building