finite
[fahy-nahyt]
- having bounds or limits; not infinite; measurable.
- Mathematics.
- (of a set of elements) capable of being completely counted.
- not infinite or infinitesimal.
- not zero.
- subject to limitations or conditions, as of space, time, circumstances, or the laws of nature: man's finite existence on earth.
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- something that is finite.
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Origin of finite
Synonyms
See more synonyms for finite on Thesaurus.com1. bounded, limited, circumscribed, restricted.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for finite
Contemporary Examples
Many of the fuels we use to generate electricity —natural gas, oil, coal—are abundant yet finite.
The reservoir of settlement-related projects available for promotion is finite.
Netanyahu Must Rein in Extremists in Coalition, or Risk Derailing Peace TalksDaniel Seidemann, Lara Friedman
August 28, 2013
And they're wise to pursue this course, because the most finite resource in this discussion is land.
For all practical purposes, the world's supply of oil is not finite.
We only have a finite amount of fresh H2o and food on the planet, there is no more.
Historical Examples
Of the Infinite the finite mind can only catch a finite glimpse.
The Conquest of FearBasil King
But we must not expect with our finite mind to comprehend the infinite God.
An Explanation of Luther's Small CatechismJoseph Stump
Man, finite and limited in capacity, could therefore never expiate it.
Initiation into PhilosophyEmile Faguet
I do not mean that in Mary Osborne I had been worshipping the finite.
Wilfrid CumbermedeGeorge MacDonald
Conditions of its necessity.species of escape from all the finite objects about them.
Modern Painters Volume II (of V)John Ruskin
finite
- bounded in magnitude or spatial or temporal extenta finite difference
- maths logic having a number of elements that is a natural number; able to be counted using the natural numbers less than some natural numberCompare denumerable, infinite (def. 4)
- limited or restricted in naturehuman existence is finite
- (as noun)the finite
- denoting any form or occurrence of a verb inflected for grammatical features such as person, number, and tense
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Word Origin
C15: from Latin fīnītus limited, from fīnīre to limit, end
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for finite
adj.
early 15c., from Latin finitus, past participle of finire "to limit, set bounds, end," from finis (see finish (v.)). Related: Finitely.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
finite
[fī′nīt′]
- Relating to a set that cannot be put into a one-to-one correspondence with any proper subset of its own members.
- Relating to or being a numerical quantity describing the size of such a set.
- Being a member of the set of real or complex numbers.
- Being a quantity that is non-zero and not infinite.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.