[ad. Fr. finalité, ad. late L. fīnālitātem, f. fīnālis: see FINAL and -ITY.]
ǁ 1. An end in view; a guiding object. Obs.–1
1541. R. Copland, Galyen’s Terapeutyke, 2 D iv b. Thou shalt prepose two fynalytees of curacyon.
2. The relation of being an end or final cause; the principle of final cause viewed as operative in the universe.
1859. Darwin, in Life & Lett. (1887), II. 247. On the contrary he [Naudin] brings in his principle of finality.
1877. E. Caird, A Critical Account of the Philosophy of Kant, II. xii. 486. There is a relation between the parts of a living being, which can only be expressed by the category of finality, or in other words, by saying that every part is both cause and effect of every other part.
3. The quality, condition, or fact of being final; the condition of being at the limit; also the belief that something is final. (First used in this sense with regard to the Reform Bill of 1832.)
1833. Croker, in Croker Papers (1884), II. 200. Althorp’s explanations as to the finality (a word which I coined, and which is now in great vogue) of the Bill.
1842. Grove, Corr. Phys. Forces (1874), 160. Instead of approaching finality, the more we discover the more infinite appears the range of the undiscovered!
1846. S. B. Williams, Princ. Railw. Managem., 26. Let us not devise our future works and arrangements with the idea of ‘finality’ to cramp our exertions.
1873. C. M. Davies, Unorth. Lond., 167. They claim finality for the revelation of Emmanuel Swedenborg.
1878. Bayne, Purit. Rev., i. 21. Calvin, like all reformers in the past with the sole exception of Christ, fell into the error of finality.
b. concr. Something that is final, a final action, state, or utterance.
1833. Jeffrey, in Ld. Cockburn, Life, I. 352. I have just taken my last peep into that turbulent, potent, heart-stirring House of Commons…. There is something sad in these finalities.
1859. Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Jrnls., II. 293. I shall be much grieved to bid farewell; but to the island itself I cannot bear to say that word, as a finality.
1860. O. W. Holmes, Elsie, V. 225. Each propagandist ready with his bundle of finalities, which having accepted we may be at peace.
4. attrib.
1839. Tait’s Mag., VI. 630/2. It is long since we gave up John Russell as a Reformer. To Reform he has been detrimental…. He is our own Finality John, whom we christened.
1844. Disraeli, Coningsby, VI. iii. Odious distinctions were not drawn between Finality men and progressive Reformers.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Lit., Wks. (Bohn), II. 115. The perceptive class and the practical finality class are ever in counterpoise.
Hence Finalityship, nonce-wd. (cf. quot. 1839 in 4).
1839. Tait’s Mag., VI. 631/2. The vehement patriotic desire, entertained by his Finalityship [Lord J. Russell], to keep out the Radicals and the Tories.
