mindmap root((最终)) last applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or has stopped: the ~ news we had of him. final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress: the ~ day of school. terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development: the ~ phase of a disease. eventual applies to something that is bound to follow sooner or later as the final effect of causes already in operation and implies a definite ending of a sequence of preliminary events: the ~ defeat of the enemy. ultimate implies the last degree or stage of a long process or a stage beyond which further progress or change is impossible: the ~ collapse of civilization.