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.

---

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

---

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.

---

Synonym Usage

See last ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pseudofinal
  adjective
• quasi-final
  adjective
• pseudofinally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• finals
  plural

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

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

The sixth and final adventure arrived on Jan. 30, 2003.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026

England have omitted Brydon Carse from their squad for the third and final Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

“An interest rate hike at the final meeting of the year, in December, is arguably now looking more likely than our current forecast,” said the economist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

“We’re constantly going back and forth making sure that regardless of whether we rent or own, we will be financially sound from now until our final days,” she said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

“Hidden in plain sight,” I muttered as I yanked the fifth and final one off the concrete wall of the Revere Building and carefully tucked it inside the backpack I’d found abandoned on the playground.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

When Venus and Serena were leapfrogging each other early in their careers, often clashing in Grand Slam finals across continents and surfaces, Serena insisted their competition existed in a supportive environment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Open, which we will be all over through the finals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Luke Littler's hopes of qualifying for the Players Championship finals suffered another setback as he was beaten by Brendan Dolan in the semi-finals of PC28 in Leicester.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Qualification for November's finals is important for Littler as he aims to complete the calendar sweep of ranking events in 2026.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

“I know. But look at it this way. At the finals in Washington, there are six people on the team. So that opens things up a little.”

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

Related Words

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