final

American  

[fahyn-l] / ˈfaɪn l /

adjective

1. pertaining to or coming at the end; last in place, order, or time.

   the final meeting of the year.

   Antonyms:

   first, initial

2. ultimate.

   The final goal is world peace.

3. conclusive or decisive.

   a final decision.

   Synonyms:

   unalterable, irreversible, irrevocable, definite

4. constituting the end or purpose.

   a final result.

5. pertaining to or expressing the end or purpose.

   a final clause.

6. Law.

   1. precluding further controversy on the questions passed upon.

      The judicial determination of the Supreme Court is final.

   2. determining all issues presented, so that no further decision upon the merits of the issues is necessary.

      a final judgment or decree.

7. Phonetics. occurring at the end of a word or syllable, as the (t) sound in bit or bite.

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noun

• finals
  plural

1. that which is last; that which forms an end or termination.

2. Often finals.

   1. the last and decisive game, match, contest, or round in a series, as in sports.

   2. the last, usually comprehensive, examination in a course of study.

3. the last edition of a newspaper published on any day.

4. Music. the tonic note of a church mode.

final British  

/ ˈfaɪnəl /

adjective

1. of or occurring at the end; concluding; ultimate; last

2. having no possibility for further discussion, action, or change; conclusive; decisive

   a final decree of judgment

3. relating to or constituting an end or purpose

   a final clause may be introduced by ``in order to''

4. phonetics at the end of a word Compare medial initial

   ``cat'' has a final ``t''

5. music another word for perfect

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noun

1. a terminal or last thing; end

2. a deciding contest between the winners of previous rounds in a competition

3. music the tonic note of a church mode

final Idioms  

1. see in the final analysis.

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Synonym Usage

See last ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pseudofinal
  adjective
• quasi-final
  adjective
• pseudofinally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• finals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of final

First recorded in 1300–50; 1915–20 final for def. 10; Middle English, from Latin fīnālis, equivalent to fīn(is) “end” + -ālis adjective suffix; see origin at -al ¹

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Explanation

Use the word final when something is over and done with. If you pester your parents too much, they may say, "You aren't going out and that's final!" End of discussion. What is the last thing you do at school? You take final exams. Before leaving for a trip? You do a final check of your suitcase to make sure you have everything you need. Then you know you're finished packing. Both final and finish come from the Latin word finis, meaning "end." Now you know why some European movies show fin instead of the end before the credits roll.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

final finals

Herodotus, writing around the same time as Euripides, described Medea’s final expedition to the Iranian plateau, and claimed it gave the Medes their name.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

Then came Shadab and another baffling defeat for England, who could be out before they play their final game against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

The Duchess of Sussex reportedly sent Thomas Markle Sr., 82, a final letter in December 2025, while he was hospitalized following a leg amputation.

From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026

At his final campaign rally in Plovdiv on Wednesday, Gyurov said he wanted Bulgaria to be "a reliable ally within NATO, defending its interests through solid preparedness, strong diplomacy and clear positions".

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

“You know that’s not a simulation we allow cadets to practice. We save events like those until you are in your final training year.”

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Stephon Castle top-scored for the Spurs with 24 points but his side were unable to match the form that saw them put out defending champions Thunder in last season's Western Conference finals.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

The breach caused the company, Instructure, to temporarily take Canvas offline and interrupted classes, assignments and finals preparations for hundreds of thousands of students and professors as hackers threatened to release their personal data.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Still, Reese’s road to the finals hasn’t been entirely smooth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Scotland are hoping to reach just their second Women's World Cup finals, after a 2019 appearance.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Daniel Justis, a dentist in Odessa, had been an All-State running back at Permian on the 1970 team that went to the state finals.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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Related Words

• closing
• concluding
• eventual
• last-minute
• ultimate

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