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
Now, cost estimates have been finalized, and staff are ready to move forward with the deal.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
For the next budget, to be finalized in May, the commission asked for $35 million for regional public defender offices.
—Ilana Panich-Linsman, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
The deal, the structure of which was largely finalized by Wednesday, according to one of the sources, would have spun off TikTok's U.S. operations into a new company based in America and owned and operated by a majority of U.S. investors.
—Dawn Chmielewski, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
The TikTok negotiations were led by the vice president, sources told ABC News.
1:19
After months of negotiations, a deal to turn over TikTok’s United States operations to a new company with a majority American ownership was finalized on Wednesday, according to senior administration officials.
—Jonathan Karl, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for finalize
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R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
For the next budget, to be finalized in May, the commission asked for $35 million for regional public defender offices.
—Ilana Panich-Linsman, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
The deal, the structure of which was largely finalized by Wednesday, according to one of the sources, would have spun off TikTok's U.S. operations into a new company based in America and owned and operated by a majority of U.S. investors.
—Dawn Chmielewski, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
The TikTok negotiations were led by the vice president, sources told ABC News.
1:19
After months of negotiations, a deal to turn over TikTok’s United States operations to a new company with a majority American ownership was finalized on Wednesday, according to senior administration officials.
—Jonathan Karl, ABC News, 4 Apr. 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 12 Apr. 2025.
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