final
final — adjective
1. coming after everything else in a sequence, with no further items following
coming after everything else in a sequence, with no further items following
Wei added a few sentences to the final chapter of his novel before mailing it.
attributive use before noun: final + chapter
Tuan felt nervous before his final chemistry exam — it would decide if he passed.
final + exam — common academic collocation
The home team scored the winning goal in the final minute of the match.
After six months of treatment, the doctor gave Aarav his final health report.
The final scene of the movie left everyone in the theatre completely silent.
- final chapter
- final scene
- final exam
- final report
- final stage
- final minute
Grammar Patterns
final + noun
Usage Note
Attributive only — this sense never appears after a linking verb. You cannot say 'The chapter was final' to mean it was the last one.
Common Mistakes
2. being the most important, basic, or true when everything else has been taken int
being the most important, basic, or true when everything else has been taken into account
The final decision about the budget rests with the board of directors.
final + decision — collocation for authority
The department manager has the final say on which candidates receive a job offer.
final say — fixed phrase for ultimate authority
The final cost of the kitchen renovation was nearly double what they had planned.
Élise reminded her family that their happiness together was the final goal of the reunion.
- final decision
- final say
- final word
- final cost
- final goal
- final result
- ultimate
stronger emphasis on being the highest or furthest point in a process
- conclusive
focuses on evidence or proof that settles a question
- definitive
suggests something is authoritative and completely reliable
- preliminary
happening before the main action or decision
Grammar Patterns
final + noun (abstract)
Usage Note
Like sense 1, this is attributive only. Frequently appears in fixed phrases such as 'final decision', 'final say', and 'final word'.
Common Mistakes
3. certain and not possible to change or argue about, because the person in charge
certain and not possible to change or argue about, because the person in charge has made up their mind
I am not going to lend you any more money, and that is final.
predictive: 'and that is final' — firm closure of a discussion
The judge announced that her ruling was final and no further appeals would be accepted.
Hamza made his intention final by signing the purchase agreement without a single change.
After three warnings the teacher gave Jack one final chance to behave properly.
attributive: final + chance — the last opportunity before consequences
- that's final
- final ruling
- final chance
- final offer
- final warning
- definitive
more formal and often used for written statements or rules
- absolute
stronger; suggests no limits or exceptions at all
- irreversible
emphasises that the decision cannot be undone
- tentative
not certain or fixed; may be changed
- provisional
agreed for now but possibly changed later
Grammar Patterns
that's final
final + noun
Usage Note
This is the only adjective sense that works both before a noun and after a linking verb ('Your answer is final'). The predicative use ('and that's final') is a very common spoken pattern for ending an argument.
Common Mistakes
This phrase means considering the most important point after everything has been thought about.
In the final analysis, the project's success depends on teamwork.
In the last analysis, it is your own happiness that matters most.
This phrase refers to the last small problem that makes a situation unbearable.
When the bus was late again, that was the final straw for Maya.
The broken printer was the straw that broke the camel's back for Diego.
This phrase means the final comment or decision about a topic, which ends the discussion.
The manager always has the last word on hiring decisions.
My final word on the matter is that we should proceed cautiously.
final — noun
1. the last match or race in a sports competition, in which the overall winner is d
the last match or race in a sports competition, in which the overall winner is decided
The women's tennis final was watched by millions of fans around the world.
the + [sport] + final
Lakan trained every day for six months to prepare for the one-hundred-metre final.
Brazil has reached the World Cup final seven times and won five of those matches.
Tickets for the basketball final sold out within two hours of going on sale.
- reach the final
- play in the final
- win the final
- lose the final
- cup final
- final match
- championship match
more formal and explicit; emphasises the title at stake
- decider
informal British term for the game that settles a tied series
- title match
focuses on the championship prize rather than the position in the sequence
- preliminary
an early round that narrows the field before the final
- qualifier
a match played to earn the right to enter the main competition
Grammar Patterns
the + final
final + of + [competition]
Usage Note
When used alone ('the final'), the specific competition is understood from context. For team sports, the final is a single match that crowns the champion.
Common Mistakes
2. the last several matches or events in a multi-stage competition, taken as a grou
the last several matches or events in a multi-stage competition, taken as a group
The World Cup finals are held every four years in a different host country.
finals (plural) — the final stage as a whole
Only eight teams from the continent reached the finals of the European championship.
Ryan watched the swimming finals late into the night from his hotel room.
The national chess finals will take place at a convention centre in Taipei.
- reach the finals
- qualify for the finals
- in the finals
- finals of the tournament
- final stage
descriptive rather than a direct synonym; names the phase rather than the event
- final round
can be singular or plural, emphasises the last phase of elimination
- qualifying rounds
the early phase where competitors are narrowed down
- group stage
the initial phase of many tournaments before elimination
Grammar Patterns
the + finals
finals + of + [competition]
Usage Note
The plural 'finals' refers to the entire final stage of a tournament (often several rounds or matches), whereas the singular 'final' (sense 1) is a single deciding match. This plural usage is especially common in British English for major tournaments.
Common Mistakes
3. the full batch of tests that a university student sits to complete a course or t
the full batch of tests that a university student sits to complete a course or term
Yael stayed up late every night for two weeks studying for her law finals.
finals — the exam period as a whole
The university library was completely full every day during finals week.
Élise felt a huge sense of relief when her history finals were finally over.
Amani's finals count for sixty percent of her total grade this academic year.
- finals week
- study for finals
- take finals
- finals count
- finals are over
- end-of-year exams
more transparent for lower-level learners
- final examinations
the full formal term
Grammar Patterns
finals
finals + in + [subject]
Usage Note
In university contexts, 'finals' (plural only in this sense) refers to the entire exam period, not a single test. For a single-subject exam, use 'final' (sense 4) or 'final exam'.
Common Mistakes
4. a single-subject test that students take when a school term or year finishes
a single-subject test that students take when a school term or year finishes
Ada passed her maths final with a grade of ninety-two percent.
possessive + subject + final — common school pattern
The English final includes a short writing section and a reading comprehension part.
Joaquín worried about his biology final because he had missed two weeks of class.
Students must bring their own pencils and erasers to the science final.
- final in [subject]
- [subject] final
- take a final
- pass a final
- chemistry final
- final exam
the full form; equally common in both British and American English
- end-of-term test
descriptive; used especially in British school contexts
- midterm
an exam given halfway through the term rather than at the end
Grammar Patterns
[subject] + final
Usage Note
Unlike sense 3 (which covers all exams in a university term as a set), this sense is a single test in one subject and can be used for any school level, including high school and middle school.
Common Mistakes
final — verb
1. to succeed in reaching the last, deciding stage of a competition, especially aft
to succeed in reaching the last, deciding stage of a competition, especially after progressing through earlier rounds
The Nigerian relay team finaled in the Olympics for the first time since 2016.
final + in + [competition]
Only three players have finaled in all four Grand Slam tennis tournaments in one year.
The high school debate team from Seoul finaled at the national championship last spring.
final + at + [event]
The young swimmer from Taiwan finaled in the two-hundred-metre event at the Asian Games.
Several underdog teams finaled in the tournament, surprising the sports commentators.
finaled in + [competition] — past-tense pattern
- final in
- final at
- reach the final
the much more common noun-based alternative; suits all registers
- qualify for the final
suggests earning a place through a qualifying process
- be eliminated
to be removed from the competition before the final
Grammar Patterns
final + in + [competition]
final + at + [event]
Usage Note
This is a rare verb, used almost exclusively in sports journalism. It is far more common to use the noun phrase 'reach the final' or 'make it to the final'. The past form is 'finaled' (not 'finalled').
Common Mistakes
Word family
- finallyadverbA2
- finalistnounB1
- finalizeverbB2
- finalenounB2
- finalitynounC1
- semi-finalnounB1
- quarter-finalnounB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
'Final' and 'last' are the closest pair, but 'final' adds a sense of completeness or definitiveness — the final chapter of a book is not just the last one in sequence; it also wraps up the story. 'Last' can simply mean 'most recent' (the last time I saw her) or 'after all others' (the last person in line), whereas 'final' never means 'most recent' and always implies no more will follow. 'Ultimate' goes further than both, pointing to the furthest possible end of a long chain of development (the ultimate goal of the project). 'Conclusive' focuses on evidence or arguments that settle a question once and for all (conclusive proof of the theory). To illustrate: 'The final chapter of the report' carries a tone of closure; 'the last chapter' is neutral chronology; 'the ultimate chapter' would sound exaggerated unless the book ends an entire series.
Common collocations
Nouns
- final decision
- final exam
- final score
- final stage
- final chapter
- final report
Adverbs
- finally
- ultimately
Phrases
- the final say
- the final word
- and that's final
Prepositions
- in the final
- at the final
- before the final
Etymology
'Final' entered English in the 1300s from Old French, which borrowed it from Latin 'finalis' — meaning 'of or relating to an end'. The Latin root 'finis' meant 'boundary, limit, or end'. This same root gave English 'finish', 'finite', 'infinite', 'define', and 'finance' (originally meaning 'settlement of a debt'). The sports senses ('the final', 'finals') developed from the general idea of something that brings a process to a close.