finalist
Americannoun
-
finalists
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of finalist
Explanation
A finalist is a competitor who reaches the final game, match, or tournament. If your favorite sports team wins in the semi-finals, it means they're a finalist in the last game. A spelling bee finalist is likely to face some really tricky words, and a finalist in a pie-eating contest must be unbelievably good at quick chewing and swallowing. If you don't expect to win even one game in a chess competition, you'll be shocked to find yourself a finalist. An earlier meaning of the word was "one who believes the end has been reached."
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.
See Examples For:
Backpack, a 20-year-old male beloved by rangers in Alaska for his quiet determination, edged out female fellow finalist Dancing Queen in the annual ursine eating competition at Katmai National Park.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Shelton was less than a year old when Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003 - but an American finalist is guaranteed when he and Frances Tiafoe meet in Friday's semi-finals.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
In addition to writing novels—the first of which was a finalist for Canada’s prestigious Giller Prize; he’s written eight books in total—Boyagoda teaches literature full-time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
She was a finalist on “Dancing with the Stars” and authored her book “I’m That Girl.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Irina Solovieva was 24 when she became a finalist for cosmonaut training.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
He was part of a team of reporters recognized as Pulitzer Prize finalists for coverage of the deadly 2025 Texas floods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
The young players arrived jet-lagged just a few hours before the match and were predictably thrashed 7-0 by this year’s World Cup finalists.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Michigan, California and Loyola Marymount were also finalists for the twins who were coached last season by Justin Siegel, a new assistant coach at Loyola Marymount.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
England now travel to Canada to complete their three-Test series against the World Cup finalists in Toronto and Ottawa, while the Black Ferns play France in Hamilton.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
He pressed the button, and the names of the thirty finalists appeared on the screen.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
