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
Julie came to the Journal from the Chicago Tribune's business desk, where she covered energy and green technology and was a Livingston Award finalist for her coverage of the breakup of the Pritzker family empire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Everyone I ran into was excited for CFDA/Vogue fashion fund finalist Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen’s collection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Lynn was on the coverage team of the Houston Chronicle that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting in 2009.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
He was now a finalist in the competition; would Mac write him another essay?
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
The ICC was among three finalists this year, alongside Tanzania opposition leader Tundu Lissu and twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, representing those prosecuted by the Iranian government.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 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
Some names are bigger than others right now, but as three of last year's finalists - Burns, Olusoga and Nick Mohammed - discovered, that could change quickly over the coming episodes.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
When they held a mock negotiation at the end of the summer, three of the four finalists were from the group that did the simulations, says Megan Ma, the lab’s executive director.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
It was their last Test before the final duel—the Test that decided who the four finalists would be.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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