Showing results for finalist. Search instead for final-host.

finalist

American

[fahyn-l-ist] / ˈfaɪn l ɪst /

noun

a person entitled to participate in the final or decisive contest in a series, as in musical or athletic competition.

finalist British

/ ˈfaɪnəlɪst /

noun

a contestant who has reached the last and decisive stage of a sports or other competition

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of finalist

First recorded in 1895–1900; final + -ist

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.

Wildcard Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist making his way back up the rankings after a lengthy injury lay-off, said it was "one of the best performances of my life".

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

The series was a finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

During last season, Nacua earned All-Pro honors and was a finalist for NFL offensive player of the year.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Two-time finalist Medvedev then asked umpire Aurelie Tourte for a video review to see whether Draper had been guilty of hindrance - making either an action or a noise to disturb an opponent.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

He was now a finalist in the competition; would Mac write him another essay?

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023