finite

American  

[fahy-nahyt] / ˈfaɪ naɪt /

adjective

1. having bounds or limits; not infinite; measurable.

   Synonyms:

   restricted, limited, bounded

2. Mathematics.

   1. (of a set of elements) capable of being completely counted.

   2. not infinite or infinitesimal.

   3. not zero.

3. subject to limitations or conditions, as of space, time, circumstances, or the laws of nature.

   our finite existence on earth.

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noun

1. something that is finite.

finite British  

/ ˈfaɪnaɪt /

adjective

1. bounded in magnitude or spatial or temporal extent

   a finite difference

2. maths logic having a number of elements that is a natural number; able to be counted using the natural numbers less than some natural number Compare denumerable infinite

3. 1. limited or restricted in nature

      human existence is finite

   2. ( as noun )

      the finite

4. denoting any form or occurrence of a verb inflected for grammatical features such as person, number, and tense

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finite Scientific  

/ fī′nīt′ /

1. Relating to a set that cannot be put into a one-to-one correspondence with any proper subset of its own members.

2. Relating to or being a numerical quantity describing the size of such a set.

3. Being a member of the set of real or complex numbers.

4. Being a quantity that is non-zero and not infinite.

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Other Word Forms

• finiteness
  noun
• nonfiniteness
  noun
• superfiniteness
  noun
• nonfinite
  adjective
• superfinite
  adjective
• unfinite
  adjective
• finitely
  adverb
• nonfinitely
  adverb
• superfinitely
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of finite

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin fīnītus, past participle of fīnīre to stop, limit. See fine ¹, -ite ²

Explanation

Calling something finite means it has an end or finishing point. Preparing for a standardized test might be unpleasant, but you have to remember that the work is finite; you won't be doing it forever. Most people are far more familiar with the word finite when they see it inside the word infinite, or without end. Finite can be used for conceptual things, like time: "Life is finite, so we should live it to the fullest." It can also be used for more tangible things: "We have to be careful with the cooking, we only have a finite amount of fuel." You might want to think of things being finito — a word that looks a lot like finite — to remember that it means, "with an end."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

finite

But another possibility is that the universe is finite.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

“Communicating from the outset that this is a finite plan, not an infinite plan, is really important so you don’t have to have an uncomfortable conversation years down the road,” Flach says.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

This led to what Ricardo Caballero, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, dubbed the “safe-asset shortage”: As investors’ demand for supersafe assets collided with a finite supply, yields plummeted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

"We've been really proactive in trying to get hockey sticks into people's hands in state schools, but resources are finite for a governing body and for a sport of our size," says Beer.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

As unappealing as the idea of a finite universe was, physicists gradually accepted the big bang and agreed that the universe had a beginning.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• definite
• fixed
• limited
• restricted