finally

From Middle English finally, fynaly, fynally, fynaliche, fynalliche, equivalent to final +‎ -ly.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfaɪ.nəl.i/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈfaɪ.nl̩.i/, /ˈfaɪn.li/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Homophone: finely (some US dialects)

finally (not comparable)

1. At the end or conclusion; ultimately.

   The contest was long, but the Romans finally conquered.

2. (sequence) To finish (with); lastly (in the present).
   • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 2, in The Celebrity:

     I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town.

   • 1967, Sleigh, Barbara, Jessamy, 1993 edition, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 122:

     At any other time Jessamy would have laughed at the expressions that chased each other over his freckled face: crossness left over from his struggle with the baby; incredulity; distress; and finally delight.

   • For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:finally.

   Finally, I washed my dog.

3. (manner) Definitively, comprehensively.

   The question of his long-term success has now been finally settled.

• (ultimately): eventually; in the end; see also Thesaurus:finally
• (lastly): at last, at length, endly; see also Thesaurus:lastly
• (definitively): completely, thoroughly, totally; see also Thesaurus:completely

• (ultimately): initially

• final-fucking-ly