the last/final word
noun
1
: the final thing said in an argument or a discussion
Your mother's decision is the final word on the matter.
Why do you always have to have the last word?
2
: the power to make a final decision
The judge will have the last word on the divorce agreement.
3
informal
: the most modern or best one of its kind
This is the last word in wireless phones.
The van's design is the last word in safety.
Examples of the last/final word in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The numbers Kaegi released Wednesday aren’t the final word, however: The outcome will depend on how appeals play out at the county’s Board of Review.
—
A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025
The paper by Seifert and co is by no means the last word.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
But, at least for tonight, Herrera got the final word.
—Jayna Bardahl, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
That does not need to be the last word for all time.
—Jess Collen, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the last/final word 
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A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025
The paper by Seifert and co is by no means the last word.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
But, at least for tonight, Herrera got the final word.
—Jayna Bardahl, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
That does not need to be the last word for all time.
—Jess Collen, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the last/final word
Dictionary Entries Near the last/final word
Cite this Entry
“The last/final word.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20last%2Ffinal%20word. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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