denouement

noun

variants or less commonly dénouement
plural denouements also dénouements
1
: the final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a novel, play, film, etc.
In the novel's denouement, the two hostages escape to freedom.
It is an intentionally unsettling denouement, which is in keeping with the tone and purpose of the entire miniseries.David Wiegand
2
: the outcome of a complex sequence of events
the competition's exciting denouement

Examples of denouement in a Sentence

In the play's denouement, the two lovers kill themselves.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To be sure, Grey’s novel is a literary protest against the mistreatment of American Indians by the federal government and Christian missionaries, and his original denouement is a little more complicated. Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025 But then things suddenly get very serious when Zem and Salia wind up falling in love, leading to a tragic denouement at the hands of ALMA, followed by an obvious music cue that must have cost a fortune. Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025 Growing up as an American, I was surrounded by cultural narratives that treated the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as the denouement of a story, one that began with the attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on V-J Day. Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025 Unlike most Western books, Lady Murasaki’s tale isn’t guided by an Aristotelian arc of action that steadily rises to a climax, followed by a denouement. Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for denouement

Word History

Etymology

French dénouement, literally, untying, from Middle French desnouement, from desnouer to untie, from Old French desnoer, from des- de- + noer to tie, from Latin nodare, from nodus knot — more at node

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of denouement was in 1705

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Cite this Entry

“Denouement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denouement. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

denouement

noun
de·​noue·​ment ˌdā-ˌnü-ˈmän How to pronounce denouement (audio) dā-ˈnü-ˌ How to pronounce denouement (audio)
1
: the final solution or untangling of the conflicts or difficulties that make up the plot of a literary work
2
: the outcome of a complicated or difficult situation or sequence of events
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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