farewell

1 of 4

imperative verb

fare·​well fer-ˈwel 

: get along well

—used interjectionally to or by one departing

farewell

2 of 4

noun

fare·​well fer-ˈwel 

1

: a wish of well-being at parting : goodbye

said their farewells and headed home

2

a

: an act of departure : leave-taking

I will take my farewell of this place tomorrow.

b

: a formal occasion honoring a person about to leave or retire

held a great farewell for the retiring senator

farewell

3 of 4

verb

fare·​well fer-ˈwel 

transitive verb

chiefly Australia and New Zealand

: to bid farewell to

farewell

4 of 4

adjective

fare·​well ˈfer-ˌwel 

: of or relating to leave-taking : final

a farewell performance

Synonyms

Noun

• adieu
• au revoir
• ave
• bon voyage
• congé
• congee
• Godspeed
• good-bye
• good-by

Adjective

• parting
• valedictory

Examples of farewell in a Sentence

Noun

They said their farewells and headed home.

the exchange student and her host family said their tearful farewells, promising to keep in touch

Verb

The retiring teacher was farewelled by the whole school at a special assembly.

Adjective

The band gave a farewell concert.

the singer's farewell tour seemed to last almost as long as her entire career

Recent Examples on the Web

Imperative verb

Buenos Aires, the city that embraced him in life, was now bidding him farewell in death. —Billboard Argentina, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019

The series chronicles the journey from the fest’s origins as a Jane’s Addiction farewell tour to its becoming a cultural phenomenon. —Spin Staff, SPIN, 19 Mar. 2024

Noun

Fans watched the star's U.S. farewell closely, documenting many of the moments on their smartphones. —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Aniston’s character received an on-screen farewell in Sept. 2023, while Hayes’ character will be honored by the people of Salem next month. —Andy Swift, TVLine, 1 Nov. 2024

Verb

Too many people are spending too much time with their fonder farewells at the drop-off sign. —Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 22 Oct. 2024

Too many people are spending too much time with their fonder farewells in the drop-off zone and there’s no space for others. —Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024

Adjective

Advertisement World & Nation Biden in farewell U.N. address says peace still possible in Mideast and Ukraine Sept. 24, 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to grind down Ukraine’s appetite for the fight and sap the West’s support for Kyiv by drawing out the conflict. —Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024

While Iron Maiden are no strangers to ambitious world tours, this tour announcement may come as a surprise to some fans, specifically those who’ve speculated the band is nearing its ‘farewell tour’ era. —Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Imperative Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1580, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1669, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

farewell

1 of 3 imperative verb

fare·​well fa(ə)r-ˈwel 

fe(ə)r-

: get along well

—used to or by one departing

farewell

2 of 3 noun

1

: an expression of good wishes at parting : good-bye

2

: an act of departure

farewell

3 of 3 adjective

fare·​well

ˌfa(ə)r-ˌwel,

ˌfe(ə)r-

: of or relating to a time or act of leaving : final

a farewell concert