finally

adverb

fi·​nal·​ly ˈfī-nᵊl-ē 

ˈfīn-lē

1

: after a prolonged time : at the end of period of time

Two hours later, the train finally arrived.

He finally got around to calling.

I'm so happy to finally meet you!

It finally dawned on me what she'd meant.

2

a

: as the last act or occurrence in a series : in the end : eventually

After many attempts, they finally gave up.

"My career meandered all over the place and I finally settled on comedic acting. …"

—Cassandra Peterson

"He listened to the whole thing, very attentive, and finally he turned to the doctor and he said, 'I have a question.'"

—Russell Newman

b

: by way of conclusion : as the last point

… Finally, I'd like to thank the fans for their great support …

—Joe Girardi, quoted in New York Post

c

: in the end : ultimately

What finally matters is whether you're likely to drink enough of the organisms to make you sick.

—Peter Jaret

3

old-fashioned : in a final manner : in a way that does not allow change

I have reason for asking this question which you have answered so finally.

—Willa Cather

She said it so finally … that Mr. Pumblechook … could not protest.

—Charles Dickens

… the power to decide finally and conclusively upon all motions made in the course of legislative proceedings …

—John G. Carlisle

Synonyms of finally

• eventually
• someday

Examples of finally in a Sentence

we're making steady progress and may finally finish this project

Recent Examples on the Web

When the cast finally congeals at Kyle’s summer solstice party, Rachel is right up in there in the mix. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025

Each nation's path to the men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy will finally be known Friday. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025

According to the clips shared by the local big wave surfing event, Gigantes de Nazaré, Burle appeared to remain under the water for an extended period of time before response crews led by fellow surfers Lucas Chumbo and Will Santana circled around on their jet skis and finally located him. —Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025

These best-selling Bagail cubes are the reason packing finally feels less like a chore and more like a satisfyingly organized game of Tetris. —Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing finally

• the/his chickens are (finally) coming home to roost