Origin: Latin suffix -al
Final has 7 different meanings across 2 categories:
the final match between the winners of all previous matches in an elimination tournament
"The crowd roared as the two team captains shook hands before the final match began, knowing that only one would advance to the championship."
an examination administered at the end of an academic term
"The professor announced that our final would be held next Friday to determine everyone's grade for the semester."
A final examination; a test or examination given at the end of a term or class; the test that concludes a class.
"I am so nervous about my final next week because it covers everything we learned in the semester."
In plain English: A final is the last thing that happens or the end result of something.
"The final was last week."
Usage: Use "final" as a noun specifically to refer to the last exam or test taken at the end of an academic term. Do not use it as a standalone noun for any other type of concluding event, such as a meeting or performance.
occurring at or forming an end or termination
"his concluding words came as a surprise"
"the final chapter"
"the last days of the dinosaurs"
"terminal leave"
Last; ultimate.
"After three rounds of negotiations, they finally reached a final agreement that satisfied everyone involved."
In plain English: Final means something that is finished and will never happen again.
"The final exam is next week."
Usage: Use "final" to describe something that occurs at the very end or represents the last instance of an event, such as a final exam or a final decision. Do not use it to mean "last in a sequence" when you intend to say "previous," as in "the final chapter before the conclusion."
The word "final" entered Middle English from Old French and originally meant "relating to an end." It eventually replaced the earlier native English term endly to describe something concluding or last in a series.