Fine

How to spell fine

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce fine

What does fine mean?

1. adjectiveOf high quality, satisfactory, or delicately thin.
2. nounA sum of money imposed as a penalty for breaking a rule or law.
3. verbTo impose a monetary penalty on someone for an offence.

Fine in a sentence

• adjective

  The museum displayed a collection of fine porcelain.

• noun

  He had to pay a parking fine after leaving the car too long.

• verb

  The referee can fine a player for serious misconduct.

• adjective

  The weather stayed fine for the whole weekend trip.

• noun

  The library charges a small fine for every overdue book.

• verb

  Courts may fine drivers who ignore speed limits.

Where does fine come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word fine traces back to the Latin finis, which literally meant 'end', 'limit', or 'boundary'. From this came the Old French fin, an adjective meaning 'perfected' or 'of the highest quality', the idea being that something brought to its proper end or limit is complete and excellent. English borrowed it in the 1200s, and the adjective sense of 'excellent' or 'delicate' developed alongside the financial sense. The noun meaning 'a sum paid as a penalty' grew from the medieval Latin finis used for a settlement or conclusion of a dispute, since paying the money brought the matter to an end. The same finis root sits inside 'finish', 'final', and 'finite', all of which carry that core notion of an ending; remembering that link helps fix the simple, regular spelling.

How the word is built

• fine (from Latin finis: end, boundary, hence 'settled' or 'of high quality')