finalize
verb
fi·nal·ize
ˈfī-nə-ˌlīz 
finalized; finalizing
1
: to put in final or finished form
soon my conclusion will be finalized—
D. D. Eisenhower
D. D. Eisenhower2
: to give final approval to
finalizing the papers prepared … by his staff—Newsweek
Newsweek
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
They are finalizing their divorce this week.
We bought our tickets and finalized our vacation plans.
Recent Examples on the Web
After legal challenges, in 2016, the Obama administration finalized a rule on STEM OPT.
—Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Kardashian and West's divorce was finalized on Nov. 29, 2022, with the parents agreeing to joint physical and legal custody of their four children.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 22 May 2025
The negotiations between Washington and Tehran only started on April 12, so to think the two are near the end-game of finalizing a highly-technical nuclear accord is very difficult to imagine.
—Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Talks about this kind of safety labeling change began before the ouster of the FDA's previous top vaccines official, Dr. Peter Marks, multiple people familiar with the situation said, but had not yet been finalized as officials wrestled with how to accurately present the findings.
—Paula Cohen, CBS News, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for finalize
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.
Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Kardashian and West's divorce was finalized on Nov. 29, 2022, with the parents agreeing to joint physical and legal custody of their four children.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 22 May 2025
The negotiations between Washington and Tehran only started on April 12, so to think the two are near the end-game of finalizing a highly-technical nuclear accord is very difficult to imagine.
—Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Talks about this kind of safety labeling change began before the ouster of the FDA's previous top vaccines official, Dr. Peter Marks, multiple people familiar with the situation said, but had not yet been finalized as officials wrestled with how to accurately present the findings.
—Paula Cohen, CBS News, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for finalize
Cite this Entry
“Finalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finalize. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share