finis

noun

fi·​nis ˈfi-nəs How to pronounce finis (audio)
ˈfī-nəs;
fə-ˈnē How to pronounce finis (audio)
: end, conclusion
… rather than a finis, there was a petering-out of funds and energy and a creeping-in of decay.Ronald Blythe
The debilitating back ailment that afflicted him last season could have spelled finis to [=could have ended] his career.Stan Fischler
typically used like "the end" to mark the conclusion of something, such as a book or movie
… the book lay open before me at the last page, where was written 'Finis.'Charlotte Brontë

Examples of finis in a Sentence

if the two countries keep up their arms race, the inevitable finis to their rivalry will be their mutual destruction
Recent Examples on the Web But no one is calling this a finis. Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'finis.' 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 Latin

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of finis was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near finis

Cite this Entry

“Finis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finis. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

finis

noun
fin·​is
ˈfin-əs,
ˈfī-nəs
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