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.
The couple have been engaged since 2015 - and after finally deciding to tie the knot earlier this year, Sinèad said they could not wait for their big day to arrive.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Can they finally afford to splurge in their golden years?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
When the tax refund checks finally arrived in April 2025, Jauregui used all the money to pay down his company’s MCA obligations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
“For the first time, the city of Los Angeles will finally be able to house people from our own streets, not from other cities,” Bass said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
I am finally here, she thinks, and she is happy to leave it at that.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
