Today, we will not only learn ten different ways to say “in conclusion,” but we will also be able to make sense of each of these alternative expressions through thorough contextualization.
In conclusion alternatives — Formal choices
By and large, you would want to gain the upper hand in your workplace, institution, or society by portraying yourself as an authority figure.
One highly effective way to do this is by expressing your ideas more eloquently, concisely, as well as in a more organized manner to your audiences, such as at school or at work.
During your free time, please check out our text on “10 Other Ways to Say ‘I am Reaching Out to You’” to supplement your business English vocabulary.
Now, please feel free to choose one of the formal alternative phrases for “in conclusion” below to make your spoken or written conclusions more powerful.
Taking everything into consideration/account
“To take everything into consideration” simply means to weigh all possibilities of an idea, particularly its pros and cons.
We may also alternatively change “consideration” into “account,” thereby transforming it into “taking everything into account.” Or, you can also use “considering everything” to reduce its formality level.
In other times, though, you may also notice another variation to this expression in the form of “thank you for your consideration” in business correspondence.
Although wordy, “taking everything into consideration/account” is a great choice for extremely formalistic contexts, such as in drafting your research paper’s conclusion or in ending a speech that has socio-political implications.
Example:
As a concluding remark
“As a concluding remark” intra-translates to “as a final statement or comment,” which is good for summing up the entire purpose of your speech or essay in a formal manner.
Since “as a concluding remark” is less verbose than “taking everything into consideration/account,” it can be an excellent choice if you want to save time, effort, and space yet still evoke tact and politeness at the same time.
You may use this when talking about sensitive issues, such as when reprimanding negative behavior among employees and adult students.
Example:
On a final note
“On a final note” is similar to “in conclusion” but different from “on that note,” which is also an effective option for texts and speeches that are meant to be tactful yet concise.
“On that note” is something you would say as a response to a preceding statement coming from either the self or another person that has given you an idea to introduce another topic.
Whereas, “on a final note” is something you would use as a concluding remark at the end of a speech, article, or email message.
Ending an email professionally can be a bit tasking if you do not regularly take part in this type of correspondence.
Therefore, it is essential that we also know some strategies that would make our email writing more effective and less formulaic.
You may use “on a final note” in your academic research paper, essay, business email, lecture programs, and conversations with faculty members or company superiors.
Example:
To summarize
Several letters lesser than “on a final note,” “to summarize” is even a more concise formal alternative to “in conclusion.”
This is great for essays and discussions that are formalistic in nature. But, you may also substitute it with “to sum it all up” or “to sum everything up” if you are dealing with more casual situations.
Example:
In essence
Although “in essence” is a textually brief conclusory expression, it meanwhile contains a highly formalistic connotation that is best reserved for making language use more stylistic.
The meaning of “in essence” could range from “basically,” “above all,” to “at the end of the day” that can be used to emphasize substantial details of an idea more instead of the peripheral ones.
Example:
Alternatives to “in conclusion — Informal choices
Now, let’s move on to the less rigid and less authoritative ways of saying “in conclusion,” which is also essential in maintaining relationships with our intimate connections.
On the flip side, we use casual language more frequently than formal language; therefore, we can never take this speech style for granted — at least not in this lifetime.
A casual language register is what we particularly use in conversations with friends, family members, relatives, close colleagues, classmates, and even strangers we meet in social gatherings.
People who write lifestyle blogs, social media content posts, and fictional stories often make use of this speech style to convey a more idiomatic and personal message.
Here are five casual alternatives to “in conclusion” that you could choose from, both in speech and in writing.
Last but not least
“Last but not least” is something you would use to convey something that is reserved at the end but just as important as the other details you’ve already mentioned.
Feel free to use this expression when you are dealing with texts that are far less formal than research or news articles, such as those you see in magazines and blog sites.
Do not forget to put a comma after “last but not least” if and when it appears in the initial part of your sentence, which is almost always the case.
You may also use “last but not least” in speeches that are more laid-back and “less frozen” than election pledges and court hearings, such as party speeches and water cooler talks.
Example:
To make the long story short
“To make the long story short” is a great conclusory expression that is used to explain a series of events in a few words rather than going over every detail.
You can make use of this one when you don’t want to repeat your story, for instance, to someone who has just jumped into a conversation that you are having with your friends.
The newcomer would have missed half of your story, and hence, you can simply talk about the gist of the story instead of repeating the whole thing.
Example:
At the end of the day
Another great casual substitute for “in conclusion” is “at the end of the day,” which bears a similar meaning with “after all.”
As these ones are often used as introductory statements, a comma must come after “after all” or “at the end of the day” when either starts the sentence off.
You can use “at the end of the day” to highlight the most important factor that affects a situation after deliberating all of its advantages and disadvantages.
Example:
To wrap things up
“To wrap things up” is something you would say when you want to summarize your speech or writing before officially ending it.
“To wrap up” is a phrasal verb that could either be taken literally or figuratively. In its literal sense, it means to wear or put on some warm clothing.
However, it could also mean “to bring something to a conclusion,” such as an event, discussion, series of activities, or a meeting.
Alternatively, you may also use “to wrap it all up,” “to wrap it up,” or “to wrap everything up” to represent the same meaning as “to wrap things up.”
Example:
In a nutshell
Finally, you may use the fancy-sounding conclusory phrase “in a nutshell” as an informal alternative to “in conclusion.”
To make things easier, you may simply think about “in a nutshell” as a direct casual alternative for “in essence,” which also contains a stylistic connotation.
The same as “to make the long story short,” the purpose of “in a nutshell” is also to explain something using the fewest possible words you can think of.
Example:
Frequently Asked Questions on “Alternatives for ‘In Conclusion’”
What is a good synonym for “in conclusion” that can be used in writing?
Formal alternatives to “in conclusion” include “taking everything into consideration,” “taking everything into account,” and “all things considered.”
What is another way of saying “I have come to the conclusion”?
A formal alternative for “I have come to the conclusion” would be “I have arrived at the resolution,” while a casual substitute would be “I’ve reached the decision” or “I’ve decided to…”
How can we write a conclusion?
The rule of thumb in writing a compelling conclusion is to reiterate the main points discussed previously and to consider the implications of our ideas in a larger context. A conclusion can be written in a form of a rhetorical question or a statement containing a call to action prompt that should positively influence our audience.
Conclusion
To conclude today’s topic, “in conclusion” is a practical transition phrase that helps us complete the story that we are trying to convey to our audience.
Not only does it have formal and casual alternatives that can be used in various contexts, but it also gives us one last chance to persuade our readers or listeners to take the same perspective as ours.
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.