desenlaces

Desenlaces is a Spanish noun that designates the final result of a sequence of events. It comes from desenlazar, “to untie,” and is widely used to refer to the outcome or resolution of a plot, conflict, or process. In narrative analysis, el desenlace is the portion of a work that resolves tensions, reveals the fates of characters, and ties up loose ends. The tone and consequence of a desenlace can be happy, tragic, ironic, or open to interpretation, and its effectiveness often shapes the overall impact of the piece.

Outside fiction, the term also designates outcomes in other domains. In medicine, epidemiology, and social research, los desenlaces describe the final status of patients or the results of interventions—recovery, relapse, death, cure rates, or other end states used to evaluate programs. In journalism or everyday speech, desenlace can refer to the practical consequence of a decision or event.

In Spanish-language literary theory, desenlace is part of the common narrative arc, often considered alongside planteamiento (setup), desarrollo (development), and nudo (climax). Some works present a closed desenlace with clear resolution; others offer an open or ambiguous one. The plural desenlaces is used when discussing multiple outcomes, such as the different possible endings of a story or the varied results of a study.