Etymograph

English

finally

Finally comes from Middle English finally.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500finally1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1897finally1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English finally
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1897, Winston Churchill: “I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long…”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500finallyWiktionary, English finally
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1897finallyWiktionary, English finally. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1897, Winston Churchill: “I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long…”

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Today it means

adv At the end or conclusion; ultimately.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “finally”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English finally / finally