🔚 Last or unchangeable 🏆 Last game 📝 An end test

final

303 2.0

The last match in a tournament that decides the winner

noun
/ˈfaɪnəl/

: final

This was the women's final of the US Open.
get to the final
cup final
World Cup final

But who made it into the final and actually won?

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Examples

We both hated basketball, but this was the city-wide final, and attendance was compulsory.

Fiction book (1992)
The following season, they reached the NBA Finals where LeBron exerted his greatness.

Blog text (5)
But who made it into the final and actually won?

Saving Grace
It's like the final of The X Factor or something.

Bridget Jones's Baby (2016)
It's not the Cup Final.

Goal! (2005)
What is your prediction for the final Spain versus England?
The most incredible finish in a Champions League final you'd ever wish to see.

Goal II: Living the Dream (2007)
An annual Global Finals event gathers teams from all over the world.

Academic text (2002)
A global audience of more than 1 billion watched the 2014 Men's World Cup Final (Philipson, 2014).

Academic text (2017)
The team celebrated their victory after winning the championship final.

Synonyms

finale

vsfinal

166 3.6

The last, most exciting part of a show or event

is specifically the last match that determines a tournament winner

cup final

vsfinal

18 2.7

Final match in a cup competition that decides the winner

is the general last match in any elimination tournament

Idioms

in the final analysis

Formal

19 4.1

After thinking about everything, what matters most is clear

Compounds

final decision

Formal

64 3.3

A court judgment that ends a case and must be followed

final exam

27 2.7

A test at the end of a school term that checks what you learned

cup final

18 2.7

Final match in a cup competition that decides the winner

final say

15 4.0

The power to make the last decision in a matter

final cut

Specialized

10 4.2

A finished and approved version of a film ready for release

final solution

Offensive

9 9.9

A plan by the Nazis to kill millions of Jewish people during World War II

final judgment

Formal

9 5.6

A court decision that ends a case and only needs to be carried out

final wishes

4 4.9

A person's last requests about their care or belongings at the end of life

final payment

4 2.9

Last money you pay to finish a debt

final curtain

3 4.6

The end of a performance, especially a play or show

final speech

3 3.5

The last talk a person gives before leaving a job or event

final whistle

2 2.7

A short whistle by the referee that ends a sports match

final period

2 3.1

The last part of a sports game, for example hockey or basketball

final examination

2 3.4

A test at the end of a course to see what students know

final boss

Jargon

2 6.0

The last and hardest enemy in a video game you must beat to finish the story

final period

1 3.6

The last part of a period of time, for example a school year or concert

final reckoning

Literature

1 9.0

A time when someone must face the results of their past actions

final cause

Formal

1 9.9

The purpose for which something exists or is made

final clause

Specialized

1 7.2

A part of a sentence that shows the reason for an action

final injunction

Formal

1 8.4

A court order at the end of a trial that permanently tells someone to stop or do something

final boss

Informal

6.5

A last very difficult challenge someone must get past in a project or task

How Important

final

303 2.0

playoff

359 2.8

semifinal

60 2.8

exhibition game

13 3.3

Surface Forms

final singular

finals plural

Etymology

Final comes from the Latin word finis, which means 'end' and is the same root as finish. The final match is the last game that ends the tournament and decides the winner.