Final Solution

American  

noun

1. the Nazi program of annihilating the Jews of Europe during the Third Reich.

---

Final Solution Cultural  

1. A term applied by Nazis to the genocide of European Jews (see also Jews) during World War II. Before instituting the Final Solution, the Nazi government had abolished the Jews' rights, destroyed and confiscated their property, and confined Jews in concentration camps.

---

Etymology

Origin of Final Solution

1945–50; translation of German endgültige Lösung

Example Sentences

Eichmann, one of the leading architects of the Final Solution aimed at wiping out Europe's Jews, was abducted by Israeli agents from Argentina in 1960 and sentenced a year later after a landmark public trial.

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2024

In January 1942 at the Wannsee Conference, the Final Solution to the “Jewish question” was discussed.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

The day falls on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious of the death camps where Nazi Germany carried out its Final Solution seeking to murder the Jewish people of Europe.

From Washington Times • Jan. 27, 2022

Segev said that  the cleric was undoubtedly a “war criminal whose support of the Final Solution stains Palestinian history,” but that it was “simply baseless” to say he contributed to the decision in any way.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2015

These two books don’t fundamentally revise our understanding of the Final Solution — too much has already been published for bold revision to be remotely plausible — but they significantly deepen it.

From New York Times • Jan. 7, 2012