Word Study
final
CIDE DICTIONARY
final, a. [F., fr. L. finalis, fr. finis boundary, limit, end. See Finish.].
- Pertaining to the end or conclusion; last; terminating; ultimate; as, the final day of a school term. [1913 Webster]"Yet despair not of his final pardon." [1913 Webster]
- Conclusive; decisive; as, a final judgment; the battle of Waterloo brought the contest to a final issue. [1913 Webster]
- Respecting an end or object to be gained; respecting the purpose or ultimate end in view. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
final, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 situated at the end, coming last.
2 conclusive, decisive, unalterable, putting an end to doubt.
3 concerned with the purpose or end aimed at.
--n.
1 the last or deciding heat or game in sports or in a competition (Cup Final).
2 the edition of a newspaper published latest in the day.
3 (usu. in pl.) the series of examinations at the end of a degree course.
4 Mus. the principal note in any mode.
--adj.
1 situated at the end, coming last.
2 conclusive, decisive, unalterable, putting an end to doubt.
3 concerned with the purpose or end aimed at.
--n.
1 the last or deciding heat or game in sports or in a competition (Cup Final).
2 the edition of a newspaper published latest in the day.
3 (usu. in pl.) the series of examinations at the end of a degree course.
4 Mus. the principal note in any mode.
Idiom
final cause Philos. the end towards which a thing naturally develops or at which an action aims. final clause Gram. a clause expressing purpose, introduced by in order that, lest, etc. final drive the last part of the transmission system in a motor vehicle. final solution the Nazi policy (1941-5) of exterminating European Jews.
Derivative
finally adv.
Etymology
ME f. OF or f. L finalis f. finis end
THESAURUS
final
absolute, adducible, admissible, admitting no exception, all-out, attestative, attestive, audition, authentic, based on, binding, blue book, boundary, categorical, caudal, certain, circumstantial, clear, closing, collateral, coming, complete, completing, completive, completory, compulsory, concluding, conclusive, consequent, consequential, consummative, contingent, convincing, crowning, culminating, cumulative, damning, decided, decisive, decretory, definite, definitive, departing, derivational, derivative, determinate, determinative, dictated, documentary, documented, downright, end, ending, endmost, ensuing, entailed, entire, eventual, evidential, evidentiary, ex parte, exam, examen, examination, explicit, express, extreme, eye-witness, factual, farewell, farthest, final examination, finalizing, finishing, firsthand, fixed, flat, flat-out, following, founded on, fulfilling, global, great go, grounded on, hard-and-fast, hearing, hearsay, hindmost, honors, immutable, imperative, implicit, imposed, inappealable, incontrovertible, indicative, indirect, indisputable, irrefutable, irresistible, irreversible, irrevocable, lag, last, latest, latter, leaving, limiting, mandated, mandatory, material, midsemester, midterm, must, nuncupative, obligatory, oral, oral examination, out-and-out, outright, outward-bound, overwhelming, parting, peremptory, perfect, polar, positive, prelim, prescript, prescriptive, presumptive, probative, quiz, reliable, required, resultant, resulting, round, secondary, sequacious, sequent, sequential, settled, significant, straight, straight-out, suggestive, sure, symptomatic, tail, take-home examination, telling, terminal, terminating, terminative, test, total, trial, tripos, ultimate, unalterable, unanswerable, unchangeable, uncircumscribed, unconditional, unconditioned, undoubting, unequivocal, unhampered, unhesitating, unlimited, unmistakable, unmitigated, unqualified, unquestioning, unreserved, unrestricted, unwaivable, utter, valedictory, valid, viva, weighty, whole, without appeal, without exception, without reserve, written, written examinationROGET THESAURUS
final
End
N end, close, termination, desinence, conclusion, finis, finale, period, term, terminus, endpoint, last, omega, extreme, extremity, gable end, butt end, fag-end, tip, nib, point, tail, verge, tag, peroration, bonne bouche, bottom dollar, tail end, rear guard, consummation, denouement, finish, fate, doom, doomsday, crack of doom, day of Judgment, dies irae, fall of the curtain, goal, destination, limit, determination, expiration, expiry, extinction, extermination, death, end of all things, finality, eschatology, break up, commencement de la fin, last stage, turning point, coup de grace, deathblow, knock-out-blow, sockdolager, ending, final, terminal, definitive, crowning, last, ultimate, hindermost, rear, caudal, vergent, conterminate, conterminous, conterminable, ended, at an end, settled, decided, over, played out, set at rest, conclusive, penultimate, last but one, last but two, unbegun, uncommenced, fresh, finally, in fine, at the last, once for all, as high as Heaven and as deep as hell, deficit omne quod nascitur, en toute chose il faut considerer la fin, finem respice, ultimus Romanorum.Completion
N completion, accomplishment, achievement, fulfillment, performance, execution, despatch, dispatch, consummation, culmination, finish, conclusion, close, terminus, winding up, finale, denouement, catastrophe, issue, upshot, result, final touch, last touch, crowning touch, finishing touch, finishing stroke, last finish, coup de grace, crowning of the edifice, coping-stone, keystone, missing link, superstructure, ne plus ultra, work done, fait accompli, elaboration, finality, completeness, completing, final, concluding, conclusive, crowning, exhaustive, done, completed, done for, sped, wrought out, highly wrought, thorough, ripe, completely, to crown all, out of hand, the race is run, actum est, finis coronat opus, consummatum est, c'en est fait, it is all over, the game is played out, the bubble has burst, aussitot dit aussitot fait, aut non tentaris aut perfice.For further exploring for "final" in Webster Dictionary Online