noun
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the condition or quality of being final or settled; conclusiveness
the finality of death
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a final or conclusive act
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metaphysics the doctrine of the efficacy of final causes Compare teleology
Etymology
Origin of finality
Explanation
Finality is the absolute, definite end. People often speak of the finality of death — nothing comes after it and nothing that came before it can be changed. If someone speaks with absolute finality, he is not going to change his mind. The sound of a judge's gavel slamming down gives a sense of finality to his or her judgment. Because of its association with death and closure, finality often carries a somber undertone. It can also be used in conjunction with the end of a sports season. But even the finality of the seventh game of a classic World Series is usually forgotten by the time spring training rolls around.
Vocabulary lists containing finality
The Haunting of Hill House
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Bunnicula
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X: A Novel
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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.
The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals held that it does not apply retroactively, preserving the finality of countless convictions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
After the Fed's last rate-setting meeting in March, Powell vowed he would not leave his post as a Fed governor "until the investigation is well and truly over, with transparency and finality."
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
Beneath the doctrinal sparring lies a familiar institutional fear characterized by destabilizing final judgments, opening procedural floodgates, and unraveling the architecture of criminal finality.
From Slate • Jan. 8, 2026
"Rather than allow for protracted litigation, this agreement provides finality for the victims and requires Boeing to act now," a spokesperson said in a statement.
From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025
It was not that she wanted to soothe Baby; it was that, day after day, she found herself rejecting the finality of Ugwu’s death.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
