Meaning & use

finalist

noun·Everyday

A competitor who has reached the last stage of a competition or tournament.

See it in a sentence

As a finalist, she still had one more round of judging before the winner was announced.

All ten finalists gathered on stage for the closing ceremony of the science fair.

A note on using this word

Being a finalist means qualifying for the final round; it does not guarantee winning the overall competition.

Words with a similar meaning

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