Other forms: finals
The final is the last match of a competition, where the winner is decided. The cup final, reach the final, the World Cup final.
As an adjective it means last, and also settled beyond argument: the final decision, my final offer, and that is final. That second sense is where most of its force lies — calling something final closes a discussion. Note the plural finals, which in Britain means the last examinations of a degree and in sport means the closing rounds of a tournament. Finally is the adverb and does two jobs: at last, and lastly in a list.
1nounfinalThe last match of a competition.
“They lost the final on penalties.”
2adjectivecomingComing last.
“The final chapter is the shortest.”
3adjectivesettledSettled and not open to argument.
“The decision of the judges is final.”
4nounexaminationsThe last examinations of a university degree.
“She sits her finals in May.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
final is a last stage.
Latin finalis comes from finis, an end or boundary — the same root as finish, define, confine and finance, which was originally the settling of a debt. A final is the boundary of a competition.
Latin
fīnālis — of or relating to the end or to boundaries
Old French
final
Middle English
final
English, today
final
Built from
From Middle English final, fynal, fynall, from Old French final, from Latin fīnālis (“of or relating to the end or to boundaries”), from fīnis (“end”); see fine. Replaced native English endly (“final”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA