finite

(redirected from Finites)
Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.

fi·nite

(fī′nīt′)

adj.

a. Having bounds; limited: a finite list of choices; our finite fossil fuel reserves.

b. Existing, persisting, or enduring for a limited time only; impermanent.

2. Mathematics

a. Being neither infinite nor infinitesimal.

b. Having a positive or negative numerical value; not zero.

c. Possible to reach or exceed by counting. Used of a number.

d. Having a limited number of elements. Used of a set.

3. Grammar Of or relating to any of the forms of a verb that can occur on their own in a main clause and that can formally express distinctions in person, number, tense, mood, and voice, often by means of conjugation, as the verb sees in She sees the sign.

A finite thing.

[Middle English finit, from Latin fīnītus, past participle of fīnīre, to limit, from fīnis, end.]

fi′nite′ly adv.

fi′nite′ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

finite

(ˈfaɪnaɪt)

adj

1. (Mathematics) bounded in magnitude or spatial or temporal extent: a finite difference.

2. (Mathematics) maths logic having a number of elements that is a natural number; able to be counted using the natural numbers less than some natural number. Compare denumerable, infinite⁴

a. limited or restricted in nature: human existence is finite.

b. (as noun): the finite.

4. (Grammar) denoting any form or occurrence of a verb inflected for grammatical features such as person, number, and tense

[C15: from Latin fīnītus limited, from fīnīre to limit, end]

ˈfinitely adv

ˈfiniteness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fi•nite

(ˈfaɪ naɪt)

adj.

1. having bounds or limits; not infinite; measurable.

a. (of a set of mathematical elements) capable of being completely counted.

b. not infinite or infinitesimal.

c. not zero.

3. subject to limitations or conditions, as of space, time, circumstances, or the laws of nature.

a. (of a verb form) distinguishing person, number, and tense, as well as mood or aspect, as opens in She opens the window.

b. (of a clause) containing a finite verb.

5. something that is finite.

[1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin fīnītus, past participle of fīnīre to stop, limit. See fine¹, -ite²]

fi′nite•ly, adv.

fi′nite•ness, n.

fi·nite

(fī′nīt′)

Having a bound or limit; not infinite or unbounded: a finite sum; a finite line segment.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Adj.	1.	finite - bounded or limited in magnitude or spatial or temporal extent mortal - subject to death; "mortal beings" infinite - having no limits or boundaries in time or space or extent or magnitude; "the infinite ingenuity of man"; "infinite wealth"
	2.	finite - of verbs; relating to forms of the verb that are limited in time by a tense and (usually) show agreement with number and person grammar - the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics) non-finite, infinite - of verbs; having neither person nor number nor mood (as a participle or gerund or infinitive); "infinite verb form"

finite

adjective limited, bounded, restricted, demarcated, conditioned, circumscribed, delimited, terminable, subject to limitations a finite set of elements
endless, eternal, infinite, perpetual, limitless, interminable, boundless, everlasting, immeasurable, unbounded

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

لَه فاعِلمَحْدود

konečnýomezenýurčitý

begrænsetfinit

endlich begrenzt

finito limitado conjugado

lõplik

äärellinenpäättyvä

fini

ragozottvéges

í persónuhættitakmarkaîur

finito limitato circoscritto

asmenuojamasisribotas

darbības vārda finītā formaierobežots

çekimlisınırlı

finite

[ˈfaɪnaɪt]

A. ADJ

1. (= limited) (of distance) → finito; [resources] → limitado
is the universe finite? → ¿el universo es finito?
to make the best use of finite resources → hacer el mejor uso posible de recursos limitados
we have only a finite amount of money to invest → sólo disponemos de una cantidad limitada de dinero para invertir

2. (Ling) [mood, verb] → conjugado

B. CPD finite verb N → verbo m conjugado

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

finite

[ˈfaɪnaɪt] adj

[number] → fini(e); [resources] → limité(e)

(GRAMMAR) [verb] → conjugué(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

finite

adj

(= limited) set, amount, time, resources → begrenzt; universe → endlich; a finite number → eine begrenzte Zahl; (Math) → eine endliche Zahl; coal and oil are finite resources → Kohle und Öl sind nicht erneuerbare Ressourcen; there is a finite limit to the weight a human can lift → ein Mensch kann höchstens ein bestimmtes Gewicht heben

(Rel, Philos) being, world → endlich

(Gram) verb, clause → finit

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

finite

[ˈfaɪnaɪt] adj

a. (limited) → limitato/a

b. (Gram) (verb) → finito/a

finite

(ˈfainait) adjective

1. having an end or limit. Human knowledge is finite, divine knowledge infinite.

2. (of a verb) having a subject. He speaks; I ran; She fell.

finite

a. finito-a, que tiene límites.

References in classic literature ?

How confidently did my dream contemplate this finite world, not new- fangledly, not old-fangledly, not timidly, not entreatingly:--

View in context

The sea had jeeringly kept his finite body up, but drowned the infinite of his soul.

View in context

The INFINITE DIVISIBILITY of matter, or, in other words, the INFINITE divisibility of a FINITE thing, extending even to the minutest atom, is a point agreed among geometricians, though not less incomprehensible to common-sense than any of those mysteries in religion, against which the batteries of infidelity have been so industriously leveled.

View in context

(2) However we may prolong the period of time between the action we are examining and the judgment upon it, that period will be finite, while time is infinite, and so in this respect too there can never be absolute inevitability.

View in context

The grand description of the philosopher in Republic VI, as the spectator of all time and all existence, may be paralleled with another famous expression of Spinoza, 'Contemplatio rerum sub specie eternitatis.' According to Spinoza finite objects are unreal, for they are conditioned by what is alien to them, and by one another.

View in context

In order to obtain invariable physical laws, we have to proceed to differential equations, showing the direction of change at each moment, not the integral change after a finite interval, however short.

View in context

I may say that my first great lessons in true philosophy were obtained in these lectures, where I learned to distinguish between the finite and infinite, ceasing to envy any, while I inclined to worship one.

View in context

But this I do know that since you have told me that ten years have elapsed since I departed from this earth I have lost all respect for time--I am commencing to doubt that such a thing exists other than in the weak, finite mind of man.

View in context

His contention was that it was finer for a finite mortal speck of life to feel Godlike, than for a god to feel godlike; and so it was that he exalted what he deemed his mortality.

View in context

Maia, as he calls it, the empty "Absolute" of the Buddhist, the "Infinite," the "All," of which those German metaphysicians he loved only too well have had so much to say: this was for ever to give the go-by to all positive, finite, limited interests whatever.

View in context

It crushed them into the remotest recesses of their own minds, pressing out of them, like juices from the grape, all the false ardours and exaltations and undue self-values of the human soul, until they perceived themselves finite and small, specks and motes, moving with weak cunning and little wisdom amidst the play and inter-play of the great blind elements and forces.

View in context

"Unless it were a transfinite number falling in love with a finite one--I suppose such things do happen, even in mathematics."