final
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
The last round, game or match in a contest, after which the winner is determined.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
fynuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈfaɪnəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
sports
The last round, game or match in a contest, after which the winner is determined.
Oxbridge slang
A final examination taken at the end of the final year of an undergraduate course, which contributes towards a student's degree classification.
CanadaUSPhilippines
The final match between the winners of all previous matches in an elimination tournament
CanadaUSPhilippines
An examination administered at the end of an academic term
canadausphilippines
A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class.
adjective
Last; ultimate.
Respecting an end or object to be gained; respecting the purpose or ultimate end in view.
Conclusive; decisive.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The last round, game or match in a contest, after which the winner is determined.
Used this way, final is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a sporting use: familiar to anyone who follows the game, and puzzling to anyone who does not.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Sports
- News/reporting
- Everyday conversation
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use final
- “The final decision will be made after everyone has had a chance to speak.”noun
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.