When a program is terminated abnormally, it is called ______.

Concept

Program termination is the transition in which a running program ceases execution. A normal termination follows the intended completion path, while an abnormal termination ends execution prematurely because of an error, failed assertion, signal, or another exceptional condition.

Application

The blank asks for the technical name of abnormal program termination. In standard programming terminology, to abort a program means to end it abnormally before its normal completion path finishes.

Contrast

• End is a broad everyday word for reaching a conclusion; by itself, it does not specify why execution finished.

• Stop is a general action of halting execution and may describe an intentional pause or user-initiated halt.

• Abort is the technical term for an abrupt or abnormal termination before normal completion.

• Terminate is the umbrella act of ending a process; the termination may be normal or abnormal depending on its cause.

Therefore, the term that completes the statement is abort.