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
Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
In the midst of Moscow’s unprecedented aggression, the Russians and the Ukrainians almost finalized an agreement.
—Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
The name change will be finalized if approved in a second vote May 9.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024
The judge will then finalize the terms of the settlement after the hearing.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2024
The Mountain West is finalizing a deal to join the Big Ten’s basketball officiating consortium, several sources inside and outside the conference confirmed.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
The former pair finalized their divorce in February 2023.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The announcement finalized changes first proposed in 2022 that mark the first updates to the program in a decade.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Witt O’Brien’s, a crisis and emergency management group affiliated with the Dali’s owners, finalized a food catering contract on Tuesday, a week after the collapse, West said.
—Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 4 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 19 Apr. 2024.
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