finite
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
having a definite limit or end; not infinite.
having fixed boundaries or a limited nature; constrained by specific bounds in space, time, or quantity.
Simple“The world has a finite amount of oil, so we must find new energy sources.”
In context“Economists often remind us that we live in a world of finite resources, necessitating difficult choices regarding consumption and sustainability.”
UsageOften used to describe resources, time, or physical space.
- 02 C1 Advanced
a verb form that shows a specific time (tense) and matches the person doing the action.
describing a verb form that is limited by person, number, and tense, allowing it to serve as the main verb of a clause.
Simple“In the sentence 'He eats apples', the word 'eats' is a finite verb.”
In context“The student struggled to distinguish between finite verbs and participles when identifying the main predicate of complex sentences.”
UsageUsed specifically in grammatical analysis to contrast with infinitives and participles.
Teacher's tipWhile 'finite' is a general B2 word, this grammatical sense is C1/Technical; learners should focus on the 'limited' meaning first.
SynonymsinflectedAntonymsnon finite
Usage finite number
The adjective is derived from Middle English fynyte, finit, from Latin fīnītus, perfect passive participle of fīniō (“to finish; to terminate”), from fīnis (“boundary”). The word displaced Old English ġeendodlīċ. The noun is derived from the adjective.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.