finalize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
finalizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
finalized,
past participle, past
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finalizing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
finalizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
finalized,
past participle, past
-
finalizing
present participle
verb
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(tr) to put into final form; settle
to finalize plans for the merger
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(intr) to complete arrangements or negotiations; reach agreement on a transaction
Spelling
See -ize.
Usage
Although finalize has been in widespread use for some time, many speakers and writers still prefer to use complete, conclude , or make final , esp in formal contexts
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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finalizesimple
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finalizessimple
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have finalizedperfect
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has finalizedperfect
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am finalizingprogressive
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are finalizingprogressive
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is finalizingprogressive
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have been finalizingperfect progressive
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has been finalizingperfect progressive
Past
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finalizedsimple
-
had finalizedperfect
-
was finalizingprogressive
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were finalizingprogressive
-
had been finalizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of finalize
Explanation
When you put the finishing touches on something, such as agreeing on a specific time and place to meet your friend on Saturday, you finalize your plans. The word finalize is relatively new, and often people choose to use the words conclude or complete instead, maybe because finalize seems a little fake to them. In the 1920s, an Australian writer took the word final, meaning the very last, and the suffix -ize, and stuck them together to make finalize. Before long it showed up in dictionaries, and the invention of the word was finalized.
Vocabulary lists containing finalize
This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for December 19–25, 2020
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 10–November 16, 2024
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ize
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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.
See Examples For:
The judge’s approval allows tech scion David Ellison to finalize his company’s $111-billion takeover of Warner Bros.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
He met with officials to finalize terms covering the editorial independence of CBS and CNN, worker benefits and the number of films it must release.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
“We’ve been working to finalize this for some time and already set aside the full amount in prior quarters,” it added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Schwartz and Vitale, for instance, are hoping to finalize a study soon that looks at how cats may greet their caretakers — or express a form of sadness or confusion when they leave.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Friday morning there’s a message from Kyro in the announcements, commanding all track members to report to his room at lunch to return uniforms and finalize banquet plans.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
The decision finalizes this phase of the explosive, yearslong case that has pitted the environmental organization against the company Energy Transfer, opening the door to an appeals process in the closely watched legal saga.
From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026
“The divestment of our European onshore platform finalizes the divestment program that we’ve laid out, and we’ve now substantially strengthened Orsted’s financial position,” Orsted Chief Financial Officer Trond Westlie said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026
Once the court finalizes custody of the 13-year-old, my aunt plans to request that the husband be required to sell the house and distribute the proceeds to my cousin’s two boys.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 16, 2025
The streamer, which remains the industry juggernaut, is also expected to add Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby and an opening night game when MLB finalizes a new media rights deal this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025
Like Thousand Oaks, temporary facilities will be in place while the team finalizes plans on a permanent facility in Woodland Hills, where owner Stan Kroenke bought 100 acres last year.
From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2024
Pricing and the deal structure’s won’t be finalized until Wednesday.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
The deal hasn’t been finalized but is expected to be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
The transfer details were still being finalized when Florenz spoke with The Times, but he said placing them there “would be Ernie’s dream.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Roshel has said it is willing to make job commitments to affected Stellantis employees in the event a transaction is finalized.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Because the design of space missions is finalized many years before launch, and because of Vishniac’s death, the results of his Antarctic experiments did not influence the Viking design for seeking Martian life.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
With Nvidia finalizing its Rubin artificial-intelligence chip platform in the coming months, Hosseini said the product ramp, which is when production and shipments scale up, will likely move into April.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
“CDC is finalizing decisions regarding COVID-19 vaccine procurement through the Vaccines for Children and Section 317 programs, and additional information will be available soon,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Now the two sides are close to finalizing a pair of deals that could be announced as early as next week, the people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
It may also be, as you say, that she never got around to finalizing her wishes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
I shut the glove box with a finalizing click!
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
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.
