conclude
Meaning
to decide or believe something as a result of the information you have
to bring something to an end; to finish
to formally arrange or settle something, such as a treaty or agreement
Structure
Usage
The jury concluded that the defendant was not guilty.
She concluded her speech with a powerful quote.
The two nations concluded a peace treaty after lengthy negotiations.
Etymology
The verb 'conclude' originates from the Latin 'concludere,' meaning "to shut up, enclose, or bring to an end." This is a compound of the prefix 'con-' (thoroughly) and the verb 'claudere' (to shut). The literal sense of "shutting something in" evolved metaphorically to signify the act of bringing a process or argument to a definitive end. Over time, this meaning further specialized to denote reaching a final decision or judgment based on reasoning, effectively "shutting off" further debate or consideration.
Analysis
con- is a Latin prefix meaning "together, with, thoroughly." -clude is from the Latin root -cludere, a variant of claudere, meaning "to shut, close."