conclusion

noun

con·​clu·​sion kən-ˈklü-zhən How to pronounce conclusion (audio)
1
a
: a reasoned judgment : inference
The obvious conclusion is that she was negligent.
b
: the necessary consequence of two or more propositions taken as premises
especially : the inferred proposition of a syllogism
2
: the last part of something
The team was exhausted at the conclusion of the game.
: such as
a
: result, outcome
The peace talks came to a successful conclusion.
b
conclusions plural : trial of strength or skill
used in the phrase try conclusions
c
: a final summation
the counsel's conclusion to the jury
d
: the final decision in a law case
e
: the final part of a pleading in law
3
: an act or instance of concluding
hoped for a quick conclusion to the war

Examples of conclusion in a Sentence

The evidence does not support the report's conclusions. The evidence points to the inescapable conclusion that she was negligent. The logical conclusion is that she was negligent. What led you to that conclusion? They haven't yet arrived at a conclusion. the conclusion of a business deal The case was finally brought to conclusion last week.
Recent Examples on the Web An investigation commissioned by Uvalde city leaders, presented during a city council meeting Thursday, defended the response by local police in the deadly 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School, prompting several family members to walk out of the meeting and denounce conclusions of the report. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 Police came to the conclusion that J.C.’s murder stemmed from a home invasion gone wrong, but that has seemed dubious to Madison. Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 While many yearn for another album of Xiao Xia, Huang Qishan asserted during this interview that 3.0 will serve as the definitive conclusion. Billboard China, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 The defense has leaned heavily on the conclusions of the New Mexico division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which did not fault Gutierrez Reed in its report. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 Nowell was assessed a technical foul and ejected after making the inappropriate comments to an official at the conclusion of the second quarter during Stockton’s 112-111 victory over the Rio Grande Vipers on Friday at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024 Underpinning the serving size recommendation is the FDA’s conclusion that, based on two prospective cohorts evaluated in high-quality studies, the specific amount is the minimum necessary to achieve the claimed effect. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 After hiring multiple outside firms, including top cybersecurity companies Mandiant and Palo Alto Networks, UnitedHealth released its conclusion that BlackCat, or AlphV, is behind the breach, a conclusion bolstered by the group itself originally claiming credit on its dark web leak site. Jenna McLaughlin, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024 As their research reaches a conclusion that commercial pesticides are the culprit, and on the cusp of publishing their findings, the numbers inside the conclusion are telling a different story. David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conclusion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin conclusion-, conclusio, from concludere — see conclude

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of conclusion was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near conclusion

Cite this Entry

“Conclusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conclusion. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

conclusion

noun
con·​clu·​sion kən-ˈklü-zhən How to pronounce conclusion (audio)
1
: a final decision reached by reasoning
came to the conclusion that we couldn't go
2
a
: the last part of something : end
b
: a final result : outcome
c
: a final summing up
the conclusion of a speech
3
: an act or instance of concluding

Legal Definition

conclusion

noun
con·​clu·​sion kən-ˈklü-zhən How to pronounce conclusion (audio)
1
: a judgment or opinion inferred from relevant facts
our conclusion upon the present evidenceMissouri v. Illinois, 200 U.S. 496 (1905)
2
a
: a final summarizing (as of a closing argument)
b
: the last or closing part of something
3
: an opinion or judgment offered without supporting evidence
specifically : an allegation made in a pleading that is not based on facts set forth in the pleading

More from Merriam-Webster on conclusion

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