# finality

/faɪˈnæɫəti/ (US) · /faɪnˈælɪti/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/finality
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

when something is finished for good and cannot be changed or undone. You feel it when a decision is truly over.

For teachers: irreversible completion that permits no further change, appeal, or discussion.

## Examples

- His voice has a finality that ends the argument.
- When the judge reads the verdict, the finality in her tone tells everyone the case is truly over.
- The closing of the old factory carried a quiet finality, as workers collected their tools knowing decades of shared routine would not return.

## Antonyms

continuation, uncertainty

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.