What does "conclude" mean?
To end; to come to an end.
Conclude
/kənˈkluːd/ verb
verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To end; to come to an end.
- Grammar: conclude is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: close, reason, resolve, abort.
- Useful contrasts: inchoate, introductory, more polling.
- Usage evidence: We have to conclude that the policy is a failure.
How to use "conclude"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "conclude" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "conclude" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "conclude" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "conclude" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "conclude" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "close" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "conclude", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To end; to come to an end. intransitive
"The story concluded with a moral."
- 2 decide by reasoning; draw or come to a conclusion wordnet
- 3 To bring to an end; to close; to finish. transitive
"I will conclude this part with the speech of a counsellor of state."
- 4 bring to a close wordnet
- 5 To bring about as a result; to effect; to make. transitive
"to conclude a bargain"
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 reach a conclusion after a discussion or deliberation wordnet
- 7 To come to a conclusion, to a final decision. transitive
"From the evidence, I conclude that this man was murdered."
- 8 reach agreement on wordnet
- 9 To make a final determination or judgment concerning; to judge; to decide. obsolete
"But no frail man, however great or high, / Can be concluded blest before he die."
- 10 come to a close wordnet
- 11 To shut off; to restrain; to limit; to estop; to bar.
"The defendant is concluded by his own plea."
- 12 To shut up; to enclose. obsolete
"The very person of Christ [was] concluded within the grave."
- 13 To include; to comprehend; to shut up together; to embrace; to confine. obsolete
"Banisht the Court? Let me be banisht Life; Since the chief end of Life is there concluded: Within the Court is all the Kingdom bounded, And as her sacred Sphear doth comprehend Ten thousand times so much, as so much Place In any part of all the Empire else; So every Body, moving in her Sphear, Contains Ten thousand times as much in him, As any other, her choice Orb excludes."
- 14 to deduce, to infer (develop a causal relation)
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"We have to conclude that the policy is a failure."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "conclude"?
Common synonyms include: close, reason, resolve, abort, accept original value, accommodate.
How do you use "conclude" in a sentence?
We have to conclude that the policy is a failure.
How do you pronounce "conclude"?
Pronounced /kənˈkluːd/.
Etymology
From Middle English concluden, borrowed from Latin conclūdere (“to shut up, close, end”).