Finitenesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of being limited in extent, duration, or magnitude
2. Instances or examples of having a defined boundary or restriction
3. The condition of having an end or a conclusion, contrasting with infinity

Etymology: "Finitenesses" is simply the plural of "finiteness," the noun for the quality of being finite. The word is a plain formation: "finite," borrowed from Latin "finitus" (past participle of "finire," to end or limit), combined with the English suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun of state or quality. The suffix itself descends from an Old English noun, "-nes," which goes back to Proto-Germanic roots. The plural form is less common than the singular, since "finiteness" is usually used as a mass noun for the abstract quality. The plural appears when writers want to speak of particular instances or aspects of that quality, so that each restriction or boundary counts as one of several "finitenesses." Its meaning therefore comes from the same structure as the singular, with the plural marking separate examples of the quality.