Finalizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To conclude all discussions and confirm outcomes in a process
2. Brings a task or agreement to completion by making final decisions or arrangements
3. Acts to finish and settle the details of a procedure or plan

Etymology: "Finalizes" is the third-person singular form of "finalize," which means to put the last touches on something and settle its details. The verb is built from two parts: "final," which comes from Latin "finalis," meaning "pertaining to the end" (from "finis," end), and the suffix "-ize," which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make into" or "to act upon in the manner of." The suffix has a longer ancestry than the base word. It passed from Ancient Greek, where verbs ending in "-izein" were common, into Late Latin as "-izare," then into Middle French as "-iser," and reached Middle English in the form "-isen." Over time the spelling settled into the "-ize" ending that English uses today, though British usage often prefers "-ise" for the same verb. Pairing an adjective with this suffix to make a new verb was a productive English habit, and "finalize" follows the same pattern as many other verbs formed this way.

Synonyms: completes, concludes, wraps up, settles, resolves

Antonyms: begins, initiates, starts