adverb
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after a long delay; at last; eventually
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at the end or final point; lastly
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completely; conclusively; irrevocably
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in the end; lastly
finally, he put his tie on
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as the last or final point: linking what follows with the previous statements, as in a speech or argument
Etymology
Origin of finally
Explanation
Finally means "at the end of a long wait." Although it seemed like it would never end, and in the middle you were cursing the day you signed up for the marathon, when you finally finished, you were overjoyed. Final means "last," so use the adverb finally to describe an end result or long-awaited satisfaction. Once the tedious dinner party was over, you finally got to go home and watch TV. If you're giving a speech and you have 14 different points that you're going to make, when you get to the last one, say "finally..." and then make the point. You can also say "in conclusion..." if that last point really sums it all up.
Vocabulary lists containing finally
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
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Workshop 2, Part 1
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Unit 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It also turned Crow-Armstrong into an unlikely favorite to finally dethrone Shohei Ohtani as National League MVP.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Alonso opened with two Premier League wins, but goalkeeper Robert Sanchez's display in the opening victory at Fulham persuaded him to finally solve a long-standing problem by signing Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
In an illustration of the scale of destruction, Chinese state media said road access to hard-hit Gyirong Port in Tibet had only finally been restored on Wednesday after "days of round-the-clock repair work".
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
But shares could finally be primed to break out in a major way.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
When we could finally settle down, we slept in the bed of the spring wagon, plastered all over with oats.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
