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
The pair announced their separation in September 2022, finalizing their divorce in March 2024.
—Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 21 July 2025
Paramount is in the process of finalizing a multibillion-dollar merger with the movie studio Skydance, a deal that requires approval from the Trump administration.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Fox News has confirmed Cabot and her husband filed for divorce in 2018 and court documents appear to show their divorce was finalized in 2022.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2025
But Washburn said the city’s budget — including finalizing raises — still had to move forward, whether contract negotiations were happening or not.
—Alex Brizee
july 18, Idaho Statesman, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for finalize
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 21 July 2025
Paramount is in the process of finalizing a multibillion-dollar merger with the movie studio Skydance, a deal that requires approval from the Trump administration.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
Fox News has confirmed Cabot and her husband filed for divorce in 2018 and court documents appear to show their divorce was finalized in 2022.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2025
But Washburn said the city’s budget — including finalizing raises — still had to move forward, whether contract negotiations were happening or not.
—Alex Brizee
july 18, Idaho Statesman, 18 July 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 24 Jul. 2025.
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