conclusion

[ kuhn-kloo-zhuhn ]

noun

1. the end or close; final part.

   Synonyms: finale, completion, termination, ending

   Antonyms: beginning

2. the last main division of a discourse, usually containing a summing up of the points and a statement of opinion or decisions reached.

   Synonyms: summation

3. a result, issue, or outcome; settlement or arrangement:

   The restitution payment was one of the conclusions of the negotiations.

4. final decision:

   The judge has reached his conclusion.

5. a reasoned deduction or inference.
6. Logic. a proposition concluded or inferred from the premises of an argument.
7. Law.
   1. the effect of an act by which the person performing the act is bound not to do anything inconsistent therewith; an estoppel.
   2. the end of a pleading or conveyance.
8. Grammar. apodosis.

conclusion

/ kənˈkluːʒən /

noun

1. end or termination
2. the last main division of a speech, lecture, essay, etc
3. the outcome or result of an act, process, event, etc (esp in the phrase a foregone conclusion )
4. a final decision or judgment; resolution (esp in the phrase come to a conclusion )
5. logic
   1. a statement that purports to follow from another or others (the premises ) by means of an argument
   2. a statement that does validly follow from given premises
6. law
   1. an admission or statement binding on the party making it; estoppel
   2. the close of a pleading or of a conveyance
7. in conclusion
   lastly; to sum up
8. jump to conclusions
   to come to a conclusion prematurely, without sufficient thought or on incomplete evidence

Other Words From

• con·clusion·al adjective
• con·clusion·al·ly adverb
• noncon·clusion noun
• precon·clusion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of conclusion¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin conclūsiōn-, stem of conclūsiō “a closing,” equivalent to conclūs(us) “closed” (past participle of conclūdere conclude ) + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of conclusion¹

C14: via Old French from Latin; see conclude , -ion

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in conclusion, finally:

   In conclusion, I would like to thank you for your attention.

2. try conclusions with, to engage oneself in a struggle for victory or mastery over, as a person or an impediment.

More idioms and phrases containing conclusion

see foregone conclusion ; jump to a conclusion .

Synonym Study

See end ¹.

Example Sentences

Was there an investigation of people at DOJ before they arrived at that conclusion?

From The Daily Beast

Editorial and political cartoon pages from throughout the world almost unanimously came to the same conclusion.

From The Daily Beast

Following this line of reasoning to its logical conclusion, the way to achieve world peace is to give everyone atomic bombs.

From The Daily Beast

In that sense, the last Report was mildly unsatisfying as a conclusion, in that it left so much unresolved.

From The Daily Beast

Magnum came into being as a cooperative only two years after the conclusion of World War II.

From The Daily Beast

And the others, not knowing that he had that day repented, sat at their distance and tried to form no conclusion.

From Project Gutenberg

The conclusion is reached that, despite these drawbacks, the Jesuit mission in Canada has made a hopeful beginning.

From Project Gutenberg

The interest of the story is now at an end; but much yet remains before the conclusion.

From Project Gutenberg

How would the involuntary accusation have been embittered, had he known that the Empress drew the same conclusion!

From Project Gutenberg

I made the experiment two years ago, and all my experience since has corroborated the conclusion then arrived at.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• closure
• completion
• consequence
• denouement
• development
• ending
• outcome
• result