finalize
verb
D. D. EisenhowerNewsweek
Usage of Finalize
Finalize has been frequently castigated as an unnecessary neologism or as U.S. government gobbledygook. It appears to have first gained currency in Australia (where it has been acceptable all along) in the early 1920s. The U.S. Navy picked it up in the late 20s, and from there it came into widespread use. It is a standard formation (see -ize). Currently, it is most frequently used in government and business dealings; it usually is not found in belles-lettres.
Examples of finalize in a Sentence
Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
Garner first connected with Miller, chairman and CEO of Cali Group, back in 2018, shortly before finalizing her divorce from Ben Affleck.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024
The longest-running melodrama in sports is less about events on the field of play than on machinations in the ownership suite of baseball’s Oakland A’s, who are close to finalizing a move to Las Vegas three or four years from now.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024
The Biden administration finalized nursing home staffing rules Monday that will require thousands of them to hire more nurses and aides — while giving them years to do so.
—Jordan Rau, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024
The rule, finalized this month, comes at a critical time.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 22 Apr. 2024
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As the final jurors for Donald Trump’s criminal trial were selected and lawyers finalized their opening statements, a man set himself aflame outside the courthouse.
—Ben Protess, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
At Barnes, only 10% to 20% of the firm’s Olympics portfolio has been rented, with most of the bookings finalized in January, says Benjamin Brjost, vacation rental director for the Paris region.
—Jenny Che, Fortune, 20 Apr. 2024
The budget was finalized about three weeks after its original April 1 due date and came after a cyberattack hampered the state office that drafts bills for the Legislature.
—Maysoon Khan and Anthony Izaguirre, Quartz, 20 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'finalize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Finalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finalize. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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