finally

American  

[fahyn-l-ee] / ˈfaɪn l i /

adverb

1. at the final point or moment; in the end.

2. in a final manner; conclusively or decisively.

3. at last; eventually; after considerable delay.

   After three tries, he finally passed his driving test.

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finally British  

/ ˈfaɪnəlɪ /

adverb

1. after a long delay; at last; eventually

2. at the end or final point; lastly

3. completely; conclusively; irrevocably

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1. in the end; lastly

   finally, he put his tie on

2. as the last or final point: linking what follows with the previous statements, as in a speech or argument

Etymology

Origin of finally

First recorded in 1325–75; final + -ly

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.

Example Sentences

The problem was finally resolved after Federal Reserve chair Paul Volcker threw the country into a brutal recession by raising interest rates to over 20% by mid-1981, causing nearly 11% unemployment.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

But America has finally achieved something close to energy self-sufficiency.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Still hungry for more, Turner finally turned his attention to news programming.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

The closings we are witnessing are a decade of accumulated student decisions finally adding up.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

But as the months passed and Big Ben and the Observatory continued in perfect agreement, he went less regularly, and finally not at all.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• already
• belatedly
• eventually
• someday
• sooner or later
• subsequently
• ultimately