finalist

IPA/ˈfaɪnəlɪst/
KK[fˈaɪnəlɪst]IPA/ˈfaɪnəlɪst/

finalist — noun

  • finalistsingular
  • finalistsplural

1. a person, team, or group that has reached the last and deciding round of a compe

1.nounB2
Definition

a person, team, or group that has reached the last and deciding round of a competition and will now compete to determine the winner

Example

The four science fair finalists will present their projects to the judges next Friday.

finalist + in [competition]

After winning her semi-final match, Aiko became a finalist in the national tennis tournament.

Common collocations
  • finalist in [competition]
  • finalist for [award]
  • become a finalist
  • choose finalists
  • one of the finalists
Synonyms
  • contestant

    a broader term for anyone who takes part in a contest, not only those in the final round

  • competitor

    similar to contestant; refers to anyone competing, regardless of which stage they reach

  • contender

    someone seen as having a chance to win, even if they have not yet reached the final

Usage Note

Followed by in to specify the competition (a finalist in the contest) or for to specify the prize or award (a finalist for the Booker Prize).

Common Mistakes

She was a finalist of the competition.
She was a finalist in the competition.
The correct preposition after 'finalist' is 'in,' not 'of,' when naming the competition.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Finalist, contestant, competitor, and contender all refer to people who take part in competitions, but the words differ in how far the person has advanced. Contestant and competitor are the broadest terms — anyone who enters a contest counts as a contestant or competitor, even if they lose in the first round. Contender describes someone who is believed to have a realistic chance of winning, though they may not have reached the final yet. Finalist is the most specific: it means the person has passed through earlier rounds and is now competing in the final, deciding round. For example: 'Over one hundred contestants entered the competition, but only three finalists remained for the final round.' 'She was a strong contender from the start and proved it by becoming a finalist.'

contestant ↗competitor ↗contender ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • one of the finalists
  • among the finalists

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Finalist comes from the Latin word finis meaning 'end' or 'boundary,' passing through French final into English. The suffix -ist, meaning 'a person who does or is involved with something,' was added to final to form finalist. The word first appeared in English in the late 1800s, used in sports to describe someone competing in the final match of a tournament.