adverb
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after a long delay; at last; eventually
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at the end or final point; lastly
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completely; conclusively; irrevocably
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in the end; lastly
finally, he put his tie on
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as the last or final point: linking what follows with the previous statements, as in a speech or argument
Etymology
Origin of finally
Explanation
Finally means "at the end of a long wait." Although it seemed like it would never end, and in the middle you were cursing the day you signed up for the marathon, when you finally finished, you were overjoyed. Final means "last," so use the adverb finally to describe an end result or long-awaited satisfaction. Once the tedious dinner party was over, you finally got to go home and watch TV. If you're giving a speech and you have 14 different points that you're going to make, when you get to the last one, say "finally..." and then make the point. You can also say "in conclusion..." if that last point really sums it all up.
Vocabulary lists containing finally
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
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Workshop 2, Part 1
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Unit 8
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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.
That plan didn’t pan out, schedule-wise, but the filmmaker and the artist finally found a way to collaborate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The blaze was put under control on August 1, but continued to smoulder underground for weeks before finally being declared out.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Some of these efforts are finally coming to fruition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Work on their Texas property was finally completed in November, although Biles and Owens didn’t officially move in until February, after packing up their Chicago residence following the end of the Bears’ season.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
I do as he says, and finally, I begin to regain control of my breathing.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
