the last/final word

noun

: 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?

: the power to make a final decision

The judge will have the last word on the divorce agreement.

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

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.

That was the last word on the standard version of the problem for nearly 40 years. —

Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024 Julianne Hough isn’t letting the haters have the last word. —

Brie Stimson, Fox News, 2 Oct. 2024 While still a student at Bennington, Tartt had begun The Secret History, a modern classic: the last word in chic whodunits and the definitive campus novel. —

Lili Anolik, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024 Instead of the ballot tallies being the last word, both sides are likely to turn to courts and public opinion to try to sway the outcome. —

Mike Allen, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for the last/final word

Cite this Entry

Style

“The last/final word.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20last%2Ffinal%20word. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation