1
a
: having definite or definable limits
a finite number of possibilities
b
: having a limited nature or existence
finite beings
2
: completely determinable in theory or in fact by counting, measurement, or thought
the finite velocity of light
3
a
: less than an arbitrary positive integer and greater than the negative of that integer
b
: having a finite number of elements
a finite set
4
: of, relating to, or being a verb or verb form that can function as a predicate or as the initial element of one and that is limited (as in tense, person, and number)
finite verbs such as "is" and "are"
finite
noun
finitely
adverb
finiteness
noun
Examples of finite in a Sentence
a finite number of possibilities
the earth's finite supply of natural resources
the finite human life span
a finite verb such as “is” or “are”
Recent Examples on the Web
There are a finite number of companies that can afford to play in the market, but those that can are making big bets.
—
Jodie Cook, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Dallas Cowboys Darth Vader Jones is only going to accept a finite number of apologies.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
Top Stories How the Washington Post Abandoned Basic Journalistic Standards Covering the Israel–Hamas War
The View from Outside the MAGA Bubble
Charles C. W. Cooke
There is no question that Washington will need to make tradeoffs and that American resources and political capital are finite.
—Daniel Twining, National Review, 23 Jan. 2024
Here’s a rundown of what’s new, what’s returning and what’s worth your finite money and appetite.
—The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024
Some have cheered the prospect of population deceleration on a finite planet scoured by resource extraction, saying fewer children would allow wealth to be spread more evenly.
—Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024
Worse, Penrose tilings are only locally indistinguishable on an infinite plane, which doesn’t translate well to the finite real world.
—Ben Brubaker, WIRED, 17 Mar. 2024
This segment of the radio spectrum, which is used by satellites in orbit, is finite, and operators must transmit their signals on different bands of it.
—Jean-François Morizur, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024
There are at least three reasons why U.S. resilience is more like a flywheel than a finite, depletable resource.
—Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024
Jodie Cook, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Dallas Cowboys Darth Vader Jones is only going to accept a finite number of apologies.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024
Top Stories How the Washington Post Abandoned Basic Journalistic Standards Covering the Israel–Hamas War
The View from Outside the MAGA Bubble
Charles C. W. Cooke
There is no question that Washington will need to make tradeoffs and that American resources and political capital are finite.
—Daniel Twining, National Review, 23 Jan. 2024
Here’s a rundown of what’s new, what’s returning and what’s worth your finite money and appetite.
—The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024
Some have cheered the prospect of population deceleration on a finite planet scoured by resource extraction, saying fewer children would allow wealth to be spread more evenly.
—Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024
Worse, Penrose tilings are only locally indistinguishable on an infinite plane, which doesn’t translate well to the finite real world.
—Ben Brubaker, WIRED, 17 Mar. 2024
This segment of the radio spectrum, which is used by satellites in orbit, is finite, and operators must transmit their signals on different bands of it.
—Jean-François Morizur, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024
There are at least three reasons why U.S. resilience is more like a flywheel than a finite, depletable resource.
—Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'finite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near finite
Cite this Entry
“Finite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finite. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
finite
adjective
fi·nite
ˈfī-ˌnīt 
1
: having certain limits : limited in scope or nature : not infinite
2
: limited in grammatical person and number
a finite verb
finitely
adverb
finiteness
noun
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