finale

American  

[fi-nal-ee, -nah-lee] / fɪˈnæl i, -ˈnɑ li /

noun

1. the last piece, division, or movement of a concert, opera, or composition.

2. the concluding part of any performance, course of proceedings, etc.; end.

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finale British  

/ fɪˈnɑːlɪ /

noun

1. the concluding part of any performance or presentation

2. the closing section or movement of a musical composition

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Etymology

Origin of finale

1715–25; < Italian, noun use of finale (adj.) < Latin fīnālis final

Explanation

If you decide to leave the theater early to beat traffic, you’ll miss the finale — the exciting final part of a theatrical performance. Perhaps to ensure that audience members stay until the end, many musical and theatrical pieces end with an elaborate flourish known as the finale. (If it’s truly spectacular, it might even be called a “grand finale.”) Appropriately, the pronunciation of finale contains a final flourish that you just can’t miss: the letter e, which you might expect to be silent, is pronounced. The last two syllables of finale rhyme with alley.

Example Sentences

Shona Campbell and Lucia Scott ran in tries for Scotland after a huge momentum shift in the second half, while Wales captain Kate Williams pulled one back to set up a frantic finale.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Bill is a genius in terms of setting something up in a previous episode so that there’s a payoff in the finale.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The Season 2 finale pulled in more than 6 million viewers across platforms, cementing the show as a crossover hit.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Paul W. Downs, who created the series alongside Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, said the finale encapsulates the ethos of the entire five-season project.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Now, the flickering lights of the finale wash over us, spectacular explosions, muzzle flashes, the steady glow of reactor fires.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Related Words

• climax
• conclusion
• denouement