conclusion

American  

[kuhn-kloo-zhuhn] / kənˈklu ʒən /

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.

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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.

conclusion British  

/ 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. lastly; to sum up

8. to come to a conclusion prematurely, without sufficient thought or on incomplete evidence

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conclusion More Idioms  

1. see foregone conclusion; jump to a conclusion.

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Usage

What is a conclusion? The conclusion is the final section of an essay. It summarizes the points made in the essay and restates the thesis statement in different words. Students are usually taught to write an essay in three parts, with the first part being the introduction, followed by the body and ending with a conclusion. While the introduction is often considered the most important part of an essay, the conclusion is often the trickiest part to write. The goal of the conclusion is to summarize all of the major points of the essay without repeating them word for word. Articles, opinion pieces, blog posts, research papers, and other types of writing also include conclusions to tie all the points together and emphasize their importance.

Related Words

See end ¹.

Other Word Forms

• conclusional
  adjective
• conclusionally
  adverb
• nonconclusion
  noun
• preconclusion
  noun

Etymology

Origin of conclusion

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

Explanation

A conclusion is the last part of something, its end or result. When you write a paper, you always end by summing up your arguments and drawing a conclusion about what you've been writing about. The phrase in conclusion means "finally, to sum up," and is used to introduce some final comments at the end of a speech or piece of writing. The phrase jump to conclusions means "to come to a judgment without enough evidence." A foregone conclusion is an outcome that seems certain.

Example Sentences

A conclusion is expected within a couple of weeks or so.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

Last week, the Justice Department reached a similar conclusion regarding UCLA’s medical school.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Scientists reached this conclusion after finding that methylsiloxanes spread through the atmosphere in a similar way to long-chain hydrocarbons commonly found in engine oil.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

If that makes the outcome seem like a foregone conclusion, it ain’t necessarily so, thanks to Labour’s laborious internal democratic process.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

Using Penkovsky's data as a guide, CIA officials came to a shocking conclusion: The Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba were close to being fully operational.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

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