| 释义 |
finality|faɪˈnælɪtɪ|
[ad. Fr. finalité, ad. late L. fīnālitātem, f. fīnālis: see final and -ity.]
†1. An end in view; a guiding object. Obs.—1
1541R. 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.
1859Darwin in Life & Lett. (1887) II. 247 On the contrary he [Naudin] brings in his principle of finality. 1877E. Caird Philos. Kant ii. xii. 486 A relation between the parts of a living being, which can only be expressed by the category of finality.
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.)
1833Croker in Croker Papers (1884) II. 200 Althorp's explanation as to the finality..of the Bill. 1842Grove Corr. Phys. Forces (1874) 160 Instead of approaching finality, the more we discover the more infinite appears the range of the undiscovered. 1846S. B. Williams Princ. Railw. Managem. 26 Let us not devise our future works and arrangements with the idea of ‘finality’ to cramp our exertions. 1873C. M. Davies Unorth. Lond. 167 They claim finality for the revelation of Emmanuel Swedenborg. 1878Bayne Purit. Rev. i. 21 Calvin..fell into the error of finality.
b. concr. Something that is final, a final action, state, or utterance.
1833Jeffrey in Ld. Cockburn Life I. 352 I have just taken my last peep into that..heart-stirring House of Commons..There is something sad in these finalities. 1859Hawthorne Fr. & It. Jrnls. II. 293 I cannot bear to say that word as a finality. 1860O. W. Holmes Elsie V. 225 Each propagandist ready with his bundle of finalities.
4. attrib.
1839Tait's Mag. VI. 630 John Russell..To Reform he has been detrimental..He is our own Finality John. 1844Disraeli Coningsby vi. iii, Odious distinctions were not drawn between Finality men and progressive Reformers. 1856Emerson Eng. Traits, Lit. Wks. (Bohn) II. 115 The perceptive class and the practical finality class are ever in counterpoise.
Hence fiˈnalityship, nonce wd. (cf. quot. 1839 in 4).
1839Tait's Mag. VI. 631 The vehement patriotic desire, entertained by his Finalityship [Lord J. Russell], to keep out the Radicals and the Tories. |