Are the nouns "End" and "Ending" interchangeable?


The Free Dictionary says that Ending is "a conclusion or termination, a concluding part; a finale: a happy ending.", among others. And for "End" it says "either extremity of something that has length: the end of the pier. 2. The outside or extreme edge or physical limit; a boundary: the end of town."


So, are they really different? Or can they be interchangeable?



Answer



I wouldn't use them with complete interchangeability. I'd say that an ending is the final step in a chronological sequence, while an end is an extremity of a physical or abstract thing. It might be reasonable to say that the ending of a story is also an end, in that it is an extremity of the chronological line that the story follows.


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