final

Etymology

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”).

noun

1. (US, Canada) A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class.
2. (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.
3. (sports) The last round, game or match in a contest, after which the winner is determined.
4. (phonology) The final part of a syllable, the combination of medial and rime in phonetics and phonology.
5. (music) The tonic or keynote of a Gregorian mode, and hence the final note of any conventional melody played in that mode.

adj

1. Last; ultimate.
   final solution; the final day of a school term
2. Conclusive; decisive.
   a final judgment; the battle of Waterloo brought the contest to a final issue
3. Respecting an end or object to be gained; respecting the purpose or ultimate end in view.
4. (grammar) Expressing purpose; as in the term final clause.
5. (linguistics) Word-final; occurring at the end of a word.