last word

noun

1. the closing remark or comment, as in an argument.

   By the rules of debate she would have the last word.

2. a final or definitive work, statement, etc..

   This report is the last word on the treatment of arthritis.

3. the latest, most modern thing.

   Casual hairdos are the last word this season.

Word History and Origins

Origin of last word¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Those were the last words Mr Chung said to his wife after a huge fire broke out in their high rise public housing complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district.

Read more on BBC

The greatest of the Roman orators, Cicero was known for his long and carefully plotted sentences that did not reveal their full meaning until the very last word.

Read more on Literature

Wittgenstein’s desire to say the last word in philosophy seems in part driven by an intense desire to still his restless mind.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There’s no bleaker satire than making it through “The Running Man’s” end credits, past images of a raised fist that reads “Together Against the Network,” to see the last words on screen: A Skydance Corporation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Her last words to him were: "I love you loads and I miss you," he said.

Read more on BBC