Finite Meaning
/ˈfaɪ.naɪt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjHaving an end or limit; (of a quantity) constrained by bounds; (of a set) whose number of elements is a natural number.
adjLimited by (i.e. inflected for) person or number.
Sentence Examples
Death ends man's finite existence.
Obviously, the theorem is true for finite sets.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Our planet has a ____ amount of natural resources, so we must use them wisely.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The world's natural resources are ____, so we must find sustainable ways to use them more wisely.
Word Origin & History
The adjective is derived from Middle English fynyte, finit, from Latin fīnītus, perfect passive participle of fīniō (“to finish; to terminate”), from fīnis (“boundary”). The word displaced Old English ġeendodlīċ. The noun is derived from the adjective.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Diſagreement in Subſtance or Eſſence […] may be called Diſproportion, as, there is a Diſproportion betvveen Finites and Infinites, i.e. there is no Proportion betvveen them."
— 1733, I[saac] W[atts], “A Brief Scheme of Ontology: Or The Science of Being in General; […]. Chap[ter] XIII. Of Agreement and Difference, of Sameness, and the Doctrine of Opposites.”, in Philosophical Essays on Various Subjects, […], London: […] Richard Ford […], and Richard Hett […], →OCLC, pages 384–385:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
Our planet has a ____ amount of natural resources, so we must use them wisely.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The world's natural resources are ____, so we must find sustainable ways to use them more wisely.