finalist

American  

[fahyn-l-ist] / ˈfaɪn l ɪst /

noun

1. a person entitled to participate in the final or decisive contest in a series, as in musical or athletic competition.

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finalist British  

/ ˈfaɪnəlɪst /

noun

1. a contestant who has reached the last and decisive stage of a sports or other competition

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Etymology

Origin of finalist

First recorded in 1895–1900; final + -ist

Explanation

A finalist is a competitor who reaches the final game, match, or tournament. If your favorite sports team wins in the semi-finals, it means they're a finalist in the last game. A spelling bee finalist is likely to face some really tricky words, and a finalist in a pie-eating contest must be unbelievably good at quick chewing and swallowing. If you don't expect to win even one game in a chess competition, you'll be shocked to find yourself a finalist. An earlier meaning of the word was "one who believes the end has been reached."

Example Sentences

She started by showing her gratitude to Chwalinska, before moving on to tournament organisers and her team - including her coach, former French Open finalist Conchita Martinez.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Now a Grand Slam finalist, the attention on her is sure to grow.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Polls show about a fifth of voters are undecided, and neither finalist built a strong backing in the first round, when they combined for less than 30 percent of the vote.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Gustavo Arellano weighs in on how the elections might play out within the Latino community.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

Irina Solovieva was 24 when she became a finalist for cosmonaut training.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson