final

1 of 2

adjective

fi·​nal ˈfī-nᵊl How to pronounce final (audio)
1
a
: not to be altered or undone
all sales are final
b
: of or relating to a concluding court action or proceeding
final decree
2
: coming at the end : being the last in a series, process, or progress
the final chapter
final exams
3
: of or relating to the ultimate purpose or result of a process
our final goal
the final product

final

2 of 2

noun

: something that is final: such as
a
: a deciding match, game, heat, or trial
usually used in plural
b
: the last examination in a course
often used in plural
Choose the Right Synonym for final

last, final, terminal, ultimate mean following all others (as in time, order, or importance).

last applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or stopped.

last page of a book
last news we had of him

final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress.

final day of school

terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development.

terminal phase of a disease

ultimate implies the last degree or stage of a long process beyond which further progress or change is impossible.

the ultimate collapse of the system

Examples of final in a Sentence

Adjective the final act of the play They won their final four games. in the final minutes of the game Our last stop was Bangkok, but our final destination is Tokyo. The plans are undergoing final review. What was the final score? The final product was not what we had expected. Noun He failed his history finals. He failed his history final.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The decision in the final weeks of President Joe Biden's administration sets up a fight over the future of California's vehicle regulations. David Shepardson, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024 The final game was another sellout of 18,519, as Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a triple double—26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
In his first six seasons with the Galaxy, the team finished first in the conference four times, won Supporters’ Shield, U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League titles and played in three MLS Cup finals. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024 In 2024, the cumulative cost of LPGA Qualifying reached $5,500 per player for those advancing to finals. Erik Matuszewski, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for final 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, "pertaining to an end or conclusion, effecting a close, ultimate, conclusive," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin fīnālis "last, at the end, ultimate," going back to Latin, "of boundaries," from fīnis "boundary, limit, terminal point, ending" (of uncertain origin) + -ālis -al entry 1

Note: According to an older hypothesis, fīnis goes back to *fig-sn-is, a derivative from the base of fīgere "to drive in, insert, fasten" (see fix entry 1), assuming that the word originally referred to some sort of boundary marker fixed to a tree or driven into the ground. A more recent suggestion sees fīnis going back to *bhiH-n-i, a derivative of an Indo-European verbal base *bhei̯H- "strike, break," seen also in an o-grade derivative *bhoi̯H-n-o-, whence Germanic *baina- "bone" and "straight" (in Old Norse beinn "straight"); (see bone entry 1); in this case fīnis would have referred originally to an upright branch or stake used to mark boundaries. Both hypotheses are in the end speculative, as the semantic prehistory of fīnis in Latin is unknown.

Noun

derivative of final entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1609, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of final was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near final

Cite this Entry

“Final.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/final. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

final

1 of 2 adjective
fi·​nal ˈfīn-ᵊl How to pronounce final (audio)
1
: not to be changed or undone
my final offer
2
: relating to or occurring at the end or conclusion : ultimate
the final act of the play
finally adverb

final

2 of 2 noun
: something final: as
a
: the last match or game of a tournament
usually used in plural
b
: the last examination in a course
often used in plural
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English final "perfect, final, not to be changed," from early French final (same meaning), from Latin finalis "final, relating to the end" — related to define, finish, infinity

Legal Definition

final

adjective
fi·​nal
1
: ending a court action or proceeding leaving nothing further to be determined by the court or to be done except execution of the judgment but not precluding appeal
used of an order, decision, judgment, decree, determination, or sentence
see also finality, final judgment rule compare interlocutory
2
: being a decision that precludes the right to appeal or to continue a case in any other court upon the merits: as
a
: being a decision for which availability of appeal has been exhausted and concerning which a writ of certiorari has been denied or the time to petition for certiorari has expired
b
: being a decision of the Supreme Court of the U.S. that terminates the litigation between parties on the merits and leaves nothing for the lower court to do in case of an affirmance except to execute the judgment
3
: being the last in a series, process, or progress
a final payment

More from Merriam-Webster on final

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!