denouement

noun

variants or less commonly dénouement
plural denouements also dénouements
1
: the final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a novel, play, film, etc.
In the novel's denouement, the two hostages escape to freedom.
It is an intentionally unsettling denouement, which is in keeping with the tone and purpose of the entire miniseries.David Wiegand
2
: the outcome of a complex sequence of events
the competition's exciting denouement

Examples of denouement in a Sentence

In the play's denouement, the two lovers kill themselves.
Recent Examples on the Web The denouement of the latest season is both satisfying and leaves the audience wanting more. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2024 DeGeneres quips about getting into gardening and raising chickens, before offering glimpses of her take on what went down during her bumpy denouement. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2024 The film’s only explicit reference to race arrives in the denouement, when Ma treats each of her teen victims to their own personal punishment. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2024 Had these details aligned, there could have been an impactful denouement. Courtney Howard, Variety, 15 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for denouement 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'denouement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French dénouement, literally, untying, from Middle French desnouement, from desnouer to untie, from Old French desnoer, from des- de- + noer to tie, from Latin nodare, from nodus knot — more at node

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of denouement was in 1705

Dictionary Entries Near denouement

Cite this Entry

“Denouement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denouement. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

denouement

noun
de·​noue·​ment ˌdā-ˌnü-ˈmän How to pronounce denouement (audio) dā-ˈnü-ˌ How to pronounce denouement (audio)
1
: the final solution or untangling of the conflicts or difficulties that make up the plot of a literary work
2
: the outcome of a complicated or difficult situation or sequence of events
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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