fine

1 of 6

adjective

ˈfīn How to pronounce fine (audio)
finer; finest
Synonyms of finenext
1
a
: all right
that's fine with me
b
: well or healthy : not sick or injured
feel fine
2
: superior in kind, quality, or appearance : excellent
a fine job
a fine day
fine wines
3
a(1)
: very thin in gauge or texture
fine thread
(2)
: not coarse
fine sand
(3)
: very small
fine print
(4)
: keen
a knife with a fine edge
(5)
: very precise or accurate
a fine adjustment
trying to be too fine with his pitches
b
: physically trained or hardened close to the limit of efficiency
—used of an athlete or animal
4
: delicate, subtle, or sensitive in quality, perception, or discrimination
a fine distinction
5
a
: ornate sense 1
fine writing
b
: marked by or affecting elegance or refinement
fine manners
6
—used as an intensive
the leader, in a fine frenzy, beheaded one of his wives—Brian Crozier
7
a
: free from impurity
b
of a metal : having a stated proportion of pure metal in the composition expressed in parts per thousand
a gold coin .9166 fine
fineness
ˈfīn-nəs How to pronounce fine (audio)
noun

fine

2 of 6

adverb

1
: finely: such as
a
: very well
b
: all right
2
: with a very narrow margin of time or space
she had not intended to cut her escape so fine—Melinda Beck et al.

fine

3 of 6

noun (1)

1
a
: a sum imposed as punishment for an offense
The motorist had to pay a fine for speeding.
b
: a forfeiture or penalty paid to an injured party in a civil action
2
: a compromise of a fictitious suit used as a form of conveyance of lands
3
obsolete : end, conclusion

fine

4 of 6

verb (1)

fined; fining

transitive verb

: to impose a fine on : punish by a fine

fine

5 of 6

verb (2)

fined; fining

transitive verb

1
: purify, clarify
fine and filter wine
2
: to make finer in quality or size

intransitive verb

1
: to become pure or clear
the ale will fine
2
: to become smaller in lines or proportions

fine

6 of 6

noun (2)

fi·​ne ˈfē-(ˌ)nā How to pronounce fine (audio)
: end
—used as a direction in music to mark the closing point after a repeat
Phrases
in fine
: in short

Synonyms

Adjective

Adverb

Noun (1)

Verb (1)

Verb (2)

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of fine in a Sentence

Noun (1) a $50 fine for speeding “Is there anything wrong?” “No, everything's fine.” The house looks fine to me. I think that's a fine idea. You did a fine job. The house is in fine shape. This is a fine example of what can go wrong when one person is given too much power. He's a fine young man. “Did you hurt yourself?” “No, I'm fine.” Verb (1) the police will fine you for driving with one headlight out She did fine on the test. My mother is doing fine, thank you. This'll do fine for now. She talks and walks so fine, just like a great lady. Verb (2) the use of egg shells to fine wine
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The luxury resort also hosts a rotating selection of contemporary fine artists through an artist-in-residence series. —Mclean Robbins, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 Two of the finest regions for the grape within Aragon are Calatayud and Campo de Borja, which are covered with a patchwork of small vineyards bordered by forest and scrub. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2024
Adverb
That mindset suits Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard just fine. —Brian Sampson, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 Policymakers think the economy is basically holding up fine, which would mean more judicious quarter-point reductions from here. —Neil Irwin, Axios, 23 Sep. 2024
Verb
In addition to losing the bologna, medication and money, the woman was fined $1,000 for failing to declare the items. —Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2024 The regulators did not fine Health Net of Arizona, which promised to address that violation. —Max Blau, NPR, 22 Sep. 2024
Noun
That law will take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and impose fines of up to $10,000 for violations. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2024 Additionally, regulatory bodies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may impose fines for inadequate security measures or failure to comply with data protection regulations. —Shai Gabay, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fine 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English fin, fyne "of choice quality, superior, admirable, free from impurity, delicate," borrowed from Anglo-French fin, going back to Gallo-Romance *fīnus "extreme, ultimate," adjective derivative of Latin fīnis "boundary, limit, ending" — more at final entry 1

Adverb

Middle English fyne, derivative of fin, fyne fine entry 1

Noun (1)

Middle English fin, fyne "end, conclusion, final legal settlement relating to alienation of property, fee paid to complete a legal conveyance, money paid in lieu of judicial punishment," borrowed from Anglo-French fin, going back to Latin fīnis "boundary, limit, terminal point, ending" (Medieval Latin also, "legal settlement, agreement involving payment, payment in lieu of punishment") — more at final entry 1

Verb (1)

in part derivative of fine entry 3, in part continuing Middle English finen "to pay a fine," borrowed from Anglo-French finer "to pay as a fine, make a payment," verbal derivative of fin fine entry 3

Verb (2)

Middle English finen, derivative of fin, fyne fine entry 1

Noun (2)

borrowed from Italian, going back to Latin fīnis "boundary, limit, ending" — more at final entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7a

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb (1)

circa 1513, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1740, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fine was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing fine

Dictionary Entries Near fine

find/take shelter

fine

fineable

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Fine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fine. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

fine

1 of 5 noun
ˈfīn How to pronounce fine (audio)
: a sum of money to be paid as a punishment

fine

2 of 5 verb
fined; fining
: to punish by a fine

fine

3 of 5 adjective
finer; finest
1
: free from impurity
2
a
: not thick, coarse, or dull
fine thread
fine sand
b
: small entry 1 sense 1
fine print
c
: done with extreme care and accuracy
fine measurement
3
: subtle sense 1b
a fine distinction
4
: excellent in quality or appearance
a fine spring day
5
: to one's liking : agreeable
that's fine with me
6
: very well
feel fine
finely adverb
fineness
ˈfīn-nəs How to pronounce fine (audio)
noun

fine

4 of 5 adverb
1
: in a fine manner
2
: very well
did fine on the test
I liked it fine

fine

5 of 5 noun
fi·​ne
ˈfē-(ˌ)nā
: end entry 1 sense 1b
—used as a direction in music to mark the closing point after a repeat
Etymology

Noun

from earlier fine "a final agreement to settle a lawsuit," from Middle English fine "end, conclusion," from early French fin (same meaning), from Latin finis "end, limit" — related to final

Adjective

Middle English fin "pure, brought to perfection," from early French fin (same meaning), from Latin finis (noun) "end, limit" as in finis honorum "the height of honor, the highest honor"

Noun

Italian, from Latin finis "end, limit"

Medical Definition

fine

adjective
ˈfīn How to pronounce fine (audio)
finer; finest
of bodily tremors
: of slight excursion

Legal Definition

fine

1 of 2 noun
1
: a sum imposed as punishment for an offense compare restitution
2
: a forfeiture or penalty paid to an injured party in a civil action

fine

2 of 2 transitive verb
fined; fining
: to impose a fine on : punish by fine
Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French fin, fine & Medieval Latin finis end, boundary, agreement, payment for release or privilege, monetary penalty, from Latin finis end, boundary

More from Merriam-Webster on fine

Nglish: Translation of fine for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of fine for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Weird Words for Autumn Time

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
petit-fours
Name That Dessert! Hope you’ve saved room for some sweet vocabulary.