final causality | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

124 entries found.

1783, a musical term, from noun use of Italian finale "final," from Latin finalis "of or pertaining to an end" (see final). From 1724 as an Italian word in English. Figurative use by 1810.

finally (adv.)

late 14c., fynaly "at the end;" c. 1400, "completely, beyond recovery;" from final + -ly (2).

wind-up (n.)

1570s, "conclusion or final adjustment and settlement of some matter," from verbal phrase wind up (see wind (v.1)). Baseball pitching sense attested from 1906.

interminate (adj.)

1530s, from Latin interminatus "unbounded, endless," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + terminalis "pertaining to a boundary or end, final," from terminus "end, boundary line" (see terminus).

conclusion (n.)

late 14c., "deduction or inference reached by reasoning, result of a discussion or examination," from Old French conclusion "conclusion, result, outcome," from Latin conclusionem (nominative conclusio), noun of action from past-participle stem of concludere "to shut up, enclose" (see conclude).

Also, from late 14c. "the end, termination, final part; closing passages of a speech or writing; final result, outcome." For foregone conclusion, see forego.

telic (adj.)

"indicating purpose," 1835, in Biblical philology, from Greek telikos "final," from telos "end, goal, result" (see telos).

terminal (n.)

"end point of a railway line," 1888, from terminal (adj.); sense of "device for communicating with a computer" is first recorded 1954. Earlier "final part of a word" (1831).

finial (n.)

"ornament at the top of a spire, gable, etc.," mid-15c., from fyniall "putting an end to, binding" (early 15c.), a variant of final.

finalist (n.)

"competitor remaining after eliminations," 1896, from final + -ist. Earlier "one who believes the end has been reached" (1883).

runner-up (n.)

1842, originally in dog racing, "dog that loses only the final race;" see runner + up. The more general sense of "team or competitor that takes second place" is from 1885.

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