conclude
Americanverb (used with object)
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concludes,
present (3rd person singular)
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concluded,
past participle, past
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concluding
present participle
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to bring to an end; finish; terminate.
to conclude a speech with a quotation from the Bible.
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to say in conclusion.
At the end of the speech he concluded that we had been a fine audience.
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to bring to a decision or settlement; settle or arrange finally.
to conclude a treaty.
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to determine by reasoning; deduce; infer.
They studied the document and concluded that the author must have been an eyewitness.
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to decide, determine, or resolve.
He concluded that he would go no matter what the weather.
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Obsolete.
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to shut up or enclose.
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to restrict or confine.
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verb (used without object)
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concludes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
concluded,
past participle, past
-
concluding
present participle
verb
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(also intr) to come or cause to come to an end or conclusion
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(takes a clause as object) to decide by reasoning; deduce
the judge concluded that the witness had told the truth
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to arrange finally; settle
to conclude a treaty
it was concluded that he should go
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obsolete to confine
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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concludernoun
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preconcludeverb (used with object)
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concludableadjective
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concludibleadjective
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nonconcludingadjective
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unconcludableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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concludesimple
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concludessimple
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have concludedperfect
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has concludedperfect
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am concludingprogressive
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are concludingprogressive
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is concludingprogressive
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have been concludingperfect progressive
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has been concludingperfect progressive
Past
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concludedsimple
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had concludedperfect
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was concludingprogressive
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were concludingprogressive
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had been concludingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of conclude
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin conclūdere “to close, end an argument,” equivalent to con- con- + -clūdere, combining form of claudere “to close ”
Explanation
The verb conclude means two related things: coming to a decision, and bringing to a close. Conclude is related to the word close, which is related to an old Latin word for "barrier" or "bolt" — the kind you put on a door. When you conclude something, it's as though you're pulling a door shut and bolting it. If your girlfriend concludes an argument by leaving the room and slamming the door, you can conclude that she's angry at you.
Vocabulary lists containing conclude
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 21-30
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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.
See Examples For:
The FCA had previously told Andriesz there was "insufficient evidence" to conclude there had been retaliation, a conclusion he believed made it harder to win a claim against BGC at tribunal.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
We have to conclude they were not serious.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
Some analysts are starting to conclude that policy ambiguity is the policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Taken together, those features led the researchers to conclude that zhelestids were neither placental mammals nor especially similar to placentals.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
After much discussion, we conclude that we are not so much sick as weak from starvation.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Rubner concludes: “September took leverage and positioning out. Q4 brings earnings, catalysts, and buyers back in.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
"There's a long road between what we've done and the clinic. But, if we get there, this technique is widely applicable, vastly cheaper and potentially even reversible," concludes Hill.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
How much of a threat Zack Polanski's Greens can be in some traditional Labour seats will be tested in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election just a week after the Labour conference concludes.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
The company’s fiscal year concludes later this month, which is around the same time when the closure of hundreds of stores was announced last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
No, he concludes confidently, there is no resemblance at all.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
The 34-year-old, who says she earned $2.8 million in 2025 from brand deals and shopping commissions, has now concluded that not everything in her personal life “needs to be a content moment.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
The conversation was easy, was focused on my baseline and any context I provided, and concluded with a plan.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
“We can just AI this,” one of the strategists concluded.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
It’s unclear how many people are affected, but in July, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that an accurate tally would “far exceed” the CDC’s 2022 estimate of 450,000 Americans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Lister concluded that carbolic acid was the best at preventing infection.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
He said Canada and India look forward to concluding negotiations "in the coming months."
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
In a hearing concluding at 02:15 BST on Sunday morning, Justice Humphreys acknowledged the "unusual if not unprecedented circumstances... with a parade due to begin in just over six hours' time".
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
The leader of the Piddington Parish council, Tim McNally, has written to President Trump, after concluding the government wasn’t responding to the village’s concerns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
The arbitration-based courtroom show premiered in 1995 and aired for 25 seasons before concluding in 2021.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Try to conquer your cowardice, and start your concluding chapter with the creative assertion: Lo!
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
