denouement

American  

[dey-noo-mahn] / ˌdeɪ nuˈmɑ̃ /

Or dénouement

noun

1. the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel.

2. the place in the plot at which this occurs.

3. the outcome or resolution of a doubtful series of occurrences.

   Synonyms:

   upshot, end, conclusion, solution

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denouement British  

/ deɪˈnuːmɒn, denumɑ̃ /

noun

1. 1. the final clarification or resolution of a plot in a play or other work

   2. the point at which this occurs

2. final outcome; solution

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dénouement Cultural  

1. The solution or outcome of the plot of a play or novel: “In the dénouement of many tragedies, the main character dies.”

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Etymology

Origin of denouement

First recorded in 1745–55; from French: literally, “an untying,” equivalent to dénouer “to untie,” Old French desnoer ( des- + noer “to knot,” from Latin nōdāre, derivative of nōdus “knot”) + -ment; de-, -ment

Example Sentences

Next week the league phase comes to a dramatic denouement with all 18 matches kicking off at the same time.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

The ending, always the hardest thing to land in horror stories, falls short of perfection only because it’s almost glossed over; I missed the denouement on the first read.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

Surely, you think, when we get to the denouement, Anderson will put a few words on the screen letting us know if everyone is OK.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025

The magic of the Cup rarely stretches to the denouement.

From BBC • May 24, 2025

Finally the score was tied nine to nine, and the family on the sidelines readied themselves for a denouement.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• climax
• culmination
• finale