conclusion
(kənˈkluːʒən)
Also 4 -sioun, -cioun, 4–7 -syon, 5 -syoun, -cyon, 5–6 -cion, 6 Sc. -sione.
[a. F. conclusion, ad. L. conclūsiōn-em, n. of action from conclūdĕre to conclude.]
1. The end, close, finish, termination, ‘wind up’ (e.g. of a speech or writing). (See also 4.)
| 1382 Wyclif Ezek. vii. 23 Mak thou conclusioun, or ende. 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys (Roxb.) Introd. 7 To drawe to a conclusyoun Of thys long tale. 1535 Coverdale Eccles. x. 14 Who wyl then warne him to make a conclucion? 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl. (1675) 70, I..begin to be weary of writing..I think it high time to hasten to a conclusion. 1752 Johnson Rambler No. 207 ¶10 The conclusion falls below the vigour and spirit of the first books. 1832 Gen. P. Thompson Exerc. (1842) II. 56 When the excess of mouths above employment shall bring the felicity to a conclusion. 1881 J. Russell Haigs 13 The conclusion is written on the back of the title-page. |
2. An issue, final result, outcome, upshot.
| c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame i. 103 With swich conclusioun As had of his avisioun Cresus..That high upon a gebet dyde! 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 37 Whan thou shalt begynne eny werke, pray god of helpe to bringe yt to a good conclusion. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 679 All their long studies and forecastes were brought to none effect or conclusion. 1635 R. Bolton Comf. Affl. Consc. ix. 45 What will be the conclusion of all this? 1643 J. Burroughes Exp. Hosea xvii. (1652) 442, I am afraid he will cast me off in the conclusion. 1777 Burke Corr. (1844) II. 202 The intelligence..received, is not of the conclusion of this unhappy affair, though that conclusion is no ways doubted. |
3. Phrases. a. in conclusion: † (a) in the end, at last; (b) to conclude or sum up, finally; also (formerly) in short. Also † at c., for c., upon c. (obs.).
| c 1386 Chaucer Pard. Prol. 126 Herkneth, lordynges, in conclusioun, Youre likying is that I schal telle a tale. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 65 For conclusyon her..euelle dedes passed the good. 1494 Fabyan Chron. ii. xxxvii. 27 In conclucyon he was deuouryd..of the sayd monstre. 1514 Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. p. lviii, Suche loue ofte proueth faynte at conclusion. 1550 Nicolls Thucyd. 82 (R.) And for conclusyon it is a thynge impossyble. c 1550 Wife in Morelles Skin 591 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 204 At shorte conclusyon, they went their way. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. ii. i. 90 In conclusion, I stand affected to her. a 1714 Burnet Own Time (1823) I. 465 He changed sides so often, that in conclusion no side trusted him. 1845 Bright Sp. Game Laws 26 Mar., I will say, in conclusion, that I am delighted with this meeting. |
4. The last part or section of a speech or writing, in which the main points are summed up.
| c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 161 This is my conclusion, To clerkes lete I al this disputison. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 4 b, The conclusion is a clarkely gatherynge of the matter spoken before, and a lappyng up of it altogether. 1611 Bible Eccl. xii. 13 Let vs heare the conclusion of the whole matter: Feare God, and keepe his commandements. a 1713 Sharp Wks. I. ix (R.), A text..that I..leave with you..as the sum and conclusion of my preaching. |
† b. A compendious or inclusive statement or description. Obs. rare.
| 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 60 All that god asketh of man, ys conteyned vnder one conclusyon of Charite. 1493 Petronilla 12 She was..for short conclusion Called the clere myrroure of all perfection. |
c. Gram. The concluding or consequent clause of a conditional sentence; the apodosis.
5. A judgement or statement arrived at by any reasoning process; an inference, deduction, induction.
| c 1340 Cursor M. 23705 Title (Fairf.), A predicacioun wiþ þe conclusioun þer-a-pon. 1399 Langl. Rich. Redeles iv. 68 Er they come to þe clos a-combrid þey were, Þat þei þe conclucioun þan constrewe ne couþe. 1570 Billingsley Euclid i. i. 9 Last of all is put the conclusion, which is inferred and proued by the demonstration. 1665 Glanvill Sceps. Sci. xiii. 72 The third Act [of Intellection] is that which connects propositions and deduceth conclusions from them. 1736 Butler Anal. i. vi. Wks. 1874 I. 118 People fancy they can draw contradictory conclusions from the idea of infinity. 1760 Goldsm. Cit. W. ix, Forming conclusions which the next minute's experience may probably destroy. 1860 Tyndall Glac. ii. i. 239 More like a fairy tale than the sober conclusions of science. 1865 Bright Sp. Canada 23 Mar., We must then come to this inevitable conclusion. 1887 Times 9 Dec. 10/2 He jumped to a conclusion that was utterly baseless. |
b. Logic. A proposition deduced by reasoning from previous propositions: spec. the last of the three propositions forming a syllogism, deduced from the two former or premisses.
| 1474 Caxton Chesse iii. v. (1860) G vj, The conclucions and the sophysms of logique. 1589 Pappe w. Hatchet (1844) 14 Drawing all the lines of Martin into sillogismes, euerie conclusion beeing this ‘Ergo Martin is to bee hangd’. 1654 Whitlock Zootomia 26 Where I thinke is all the Premises, A Foole sayd it, must needs be the Conclusion. 1716 Addison Freeholder (J.), He granted him both the major and the minor; but denied him the conclusion. 1887 Fowler Deduct. Logic iii. 96 If either of the premisses be negative, the conclusion must be negative. |
c. The action of concluding or inferring. rare.
| 1532 Thynne Chaucer's Wks. Ded., In whose [Chaucer's] workes is..suche sharpnesse or quycknesse in conclusyon. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iv. xv. 28 Your Wife Octauia, with her modest eyes, And still Conclusion, shall acquire no Honour Demuring vpon me. 1635 W. Barriffe Mil. Discipl. ii. (1661) 4 The censure of some..that they will find more Postures of the Pike here then formerly they knew of, and so by their conclusion more then there is any need of. |
† 6. With the notion of ‘inference’ obscured or lost: A proposition, dictum, dogma, tenet. Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 205 Unto this conclusion, That tiranny is to despise, I finde ensample in sondry wise. 1395 Oath of Recant. in Academy 17 Nov. (1883) 331/1 Þat I..ne defende [no] conclusions ne techynges of the lollardes. 1477 Caxton Dictes Epil. 146 In the dyctes and sayengys of Socrates..my saide lord hath left out certayn..conclusions towchyng women. 1554 Latimer in Strype Eccl. Mem. III. App. xxxiv. 91 Thus, lo! I have written an answer to your conclusions. a 1687 Petty Pol. Arith. (1690) 116 Having handled these ten Principal Conclusions. |
† 7. Something propounded for solution or mathematical demonstration; a proposition, problem.
| c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. Prol. 1, I purpose to teche the a certein nombre of conclusions apertenyng to the same instrument. Ibid. ii. §1 Her bygynnen the conclusions of the Astrelabie. 1. To fynde the degree in which the sonne is day by day, after hir cours a-bowte. 1551 Recorde Pathw. Knowl. i. xxvii, So that the circle is iustely made in the triangle, as the conclusion did purporte. 1663 J. Rollock in Mrq. Worcester's Cent. Inv., Exact Def. 8 Several..rare, useful, and never formerly heard of Mathematical Conclusions. |
† b. A problem, riddle, enigma. Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. I. 146 To sete some conclusion, Which shulde be confusion Unto this knight. 1608 Shakes. Per. i. i. 56 Read the conclusion, then..He reads the riddle. |
† 8. An experiment. Obs. exc. as in b.
| 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. ii, This conclusyon He may not scape for fauour ne for mede. 1519 Interl. Four Elements in Hazl. Dodsley I. 39 This proveth..That the earth must needs round be; This conclusion doth it try. 1594 Plat Jewell-ho. ii. (title), Diuerse chimicall conclusions concerning..Distillation. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. v. ii. 358 She hath pursu'de Conclusions infinite Of easie wayes to dye. 1624 Bacon New Atlantis (Bohn) 299 We practise likewise all conclusions of grafting..as well of wild trees as fruit-trees. 1670 Walton Lives ii. 127 Some part of most days was usually spent in Philosophical Conclusions. |
b. to try conclusions (also, formerly † to prove c.s, to try (a) conclusion): to try experiments, to experiment; transf. to engage in a trial of skill, strength, etc. (Now associated with sense 2, as if = ‘to try the issue, see what will come of it’.)
| 1601 Chester Love's Mart. cxvi, If their eyes trie not conclusion They will not trust a strangers true reporting. 1602 Shakes. Ham. iii. iv. 195. 1602 Rowlands Greene's Ghost 35 Either he would haue restitution for his purse..or they would trie a conclusion at Tyborne. 1619 W. Sclater Expos. 1 Thess. (1630) 311 As if..to giue our Saviour the lye, and to proue conclusions with the Almighty. 1669 Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1681) 37 His poor and beggerly Farm hath wasted what he hath, and he has no more to try new Conclusions withal. 1719 D'Urfey Pills (1872) III. 314 But try no mad Conclusions. 1857 Kingsley Two Y. Ago v, Put his tissues under the microscope and try conclusions on him. 1884 L'pool Daily Post 23 June 5 To day Australian cricketers will try conclusions with a Liverpool team. |
† 9. Purpose, aim, end. Obs.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 480 Only, lo, for this conclusioun, To likyn her the betre for his renoun. c 1386 ― Wife's Prol. 115 Tel me also, to what conclusioun Were membres maad. 1393 Gower Conf. I. 340 To what finall conclusion They wolde regne kinges there. |
10. The result of a discussion, or examination of a question; final determination, decision, resolution; final arrangement or agreement. (See conclude v. 12, 13.)
| c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 2643 Hypermestre, Thou nescapest noght..But thou consente..Tak this to thee for ful conclusioun. 1490 Caxton Eneydos xxii. 85 After her conclusion taken. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon clviii. 608 [He] had harde all the conclusyon that the abbot had taken with these prynces. 1602 Carew Surv. Cornw. (1811) 11 The conclusion ensued, that his charges must be borne. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World iii. 128 Their standing out, hindred not the rest from proceeding to conclusion. 1724 De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 40 At Leipsic, February 8th., 1630..the protestants agreed on several heads for their mutual defence..these were the famous conclusions of Leipsic. 1747 Col. Rec. Penn. V. 155 There shou'd be reason to think they were come to some Conclusion on the several matters before them. Mod. He has come to the conclusion not to prosecute the inquiry. |
11. The concluding, settling, or final arranging (of a peace, treaty, etc.). (See conclude v. 11.)
| 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 730 Now let us..return to the conclusion of the peace. 1632 Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 14 Hee had condescended to the conclusion of the marriage (so long..suspended). 1685 H. Consett Pract. Spirit. Courts 156 The Conclusion of the Cause. 1850 Alison Hist. Europe VIII. liv. §75. 536 The..object of his mission..was the conclusion of an armistice. 1878 Seeley Stein III. 354 By the conclusion of treaties or the disbanding of armies. |
† 12. The action of shutting up, enclosing, or confining. Obs. rare.
| 1676 Hale Contempl. i. 169 The conclusion of them under chains of darkness..in Hell fire. |
13. Law. An act by which a man debars himself from doing anything inconsistent with it; ‘a binding act’ (Wharton Law Dict.); a bar or impediment so arising, an estoppel. (See conclude 3.)
| 1531 Dial. Laws Eng. ii. xliv. (1638) 141 Without it be by such a matter that it worke by way of conclusion or estoppell. 1641 Termes de la Ley 71 Conclusion is when a man by his own act upon Record hath charged himselfe with a dutie or other thing: as if a freeman confesse himselfe to bee the villeine of A. upon record..hee shall be concluded to say in any action or plea afterwards, that hee is free, by reason of his own confession. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) II. 438 It was determined, that though the fine operated at first by conclusion, and passed no interest, yet the estoppel should bind the heir. |
14. Sc. Law. The concluding clause (or paragraph) of a Summons, which sets forth the purpose of the action or suit; the purpose or object itself, as stated in the Summons. Cf. conclude v. 15.
Now (since 1876) only used in actions in the Court of Session, in which the Summons still proceeds, in antiquated form, in the name of the Sovereign, thus: ‘Victoria, etc. Whereas it is humbly meant and shown to us by our lovite, etc.’; and after setting forth the names of the parties, etc., ‘concludes’ in such terms as ‘Therefore, it ought and should be found and declared, that’ or ‘Therefore the defender..ought and should be decerned and ordained..to, etc.’ The clause usually further ‘concludes’ for the expenses of the action.
| 1826–7 Stair iv. 5. §5. There uses a conclusion to be added for payment. 1850 Act 13 & 14 Vict. c. 36 §1 [The Summons shall set forth the names of parties] and the conclusions of the Action. 1875 Dove Wilson Sheriff Court Pract. 100 §6 The conclusion for expenses is very briefly stated. It is always well to insert it. |
15. foregone conclusion: see foregone.
(As used by Shakes., variously referred to senses 2, 8, 10.)