finally

adverb

fi·​nal·​ly ˈfī-nᵊl-ē 

ˈfīn-lē

1

: after a prolonged time : at the end of period of time

Two hours later, the train finally arrived.

He finally got around to calling.

I'm so happy to finally meet you!

It finally dawned on me what she'd meant.

2

a

: as the last act or occurrence in a series : in the end : eventually

After many attempts, they finally gave up.

"My career meandered all over the place and I finally settled on comedic acting. …"

—Cassandra Peterson

"He listened to the whole thing, very attentive, and finally he turned to the doctor and he said, 'I have a question.'"

—Russell Newman

b

: by way of conclusion : as the last point

"… Finally, I'd like to thank the fans for their great support …"

—Joe Girardi

c

: in the end : ultimately

What finally matters is whether you're likely to drink enough of the organisms to make you sick.

—Peter Jaret

3

old-fashioned : in a final manner : in a way that does not allow change

I have reason for asking this question which you have answered so finally.

—Willa Cather

She said it so finally … that Mr. Pumblechook … could not protest.

—Charles Dickens

… the power to decide finally and conclusively upon all motions made in the course of legislative proceedings …

—John G. Carlisle

Synonyms

• eventually
• someday
• sometime
• sooner or later
• ultimately
• yet

Examples of finally in a Sentence

we're making steady progress and may finally finish this project

Recent Examples on the Web

After 19 consecutive victories to start the high school basketball season, Mira Costa finally faced a team that proved to be better. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025

Front-line and now finally chic-to-be-geek, developers are always in the spotlight (for good and bad reasons) and generally regarded to be the stars of the technology world in the neo-cloud era of AI where the promise of quantum hangs close to come. —Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025

After a decade-plus journey from the stage to the big screen, The Last Showgirl is finally shimmying into theaters everywhere this weekend. —Mike Miller, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2025

Several states sued Biden and the Department of Education over the plan, although the administration kept applications for loan forgiveness open before finally closing them in November 2022. —Zach Halaschak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing finally

• the/his chickens are (finally) coming home to roost