the last/final word
noun
1
: the final thing said in an argument or a discussion
Your mother's decision is the final word on the matter.
Why do you always have to have the last word?
2
: the power to make a final decision
The judge will have the last word on the divorce agreement.
3
informal
: the most modern or best one of its kind
This is the last word in wireless phones.
The van's design is the last word in safety.
Examples of the last/final word in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The letter said Lake would have the final word on the decision.
—
David Folkenflik, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025
As the full impact of the bill that looks increasingly like a big, beautiful disaster hits home, it may be left up to the voters to have the final word.
—Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
The unanimous decision by the four commissioners is not the final word on the matter.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
The Supreme Court’s decision is not the last word on the legality of the cutbacks at individual agencies themselves, which are being challenged in a lawsuit filed by a group of unions representing government workers, as well as by a handful of U.S. cities and counties.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for the last/final word
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David Folkenflik, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025
As the full impact of the bill that looks increasingly like a big, beautiful disaster hits home, it may be left up to the voters to have the final word.
—Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
The unanimous decision by the four commissioners is not the final word on the matter.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
The Supreme Court’s decision is not the last word on the legality of the cutbacks at individual agencies themselves, which are being challenged in a lawsuit filed by a group of unions representing government workers, as well as by a handful of U.S. cities and counties.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for the last/final word
Cite this Entry
“The last/final word.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20last%2Ffinal%20word. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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