valedictory

1 of 2

adjective

val·​e·​dic·​to·​ry ˌva-lə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē How to pronounce valedictory (audio)
: of or relating to a valediction : expressing or containing a farewell

valedictory

2 of 2

noun

plural valedictories
1
: an address or statement of farewell or leave-taking
2

Did you know?

Valedictory addresses delivered by earnest young valedictorians at high school and college graduations are as much a sign of spring in the United States as baseball games and cookouts. Though we don’t know where the first valedictory address was given, we do know that the word was an institution at some colleges in the U.S. by the mid-1700s. English speakers and writers have also used valedictory in non-academic settings since the mid-1600s. Since a valedictory speech is given at the end of an academic career, it is perfectly in keeping with the meaning of its Latin ancestor, valedicere, which means "to say farewell."

Examples of valedictory in a Sentence

Adjective a valedictory address given by the college president upon his retirement Noun He received a very warm valedictory for his long career.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Despite its ominously valedictory new subtitle, The Final Reckoning is unlikely to actually be the final Mission: Impossible. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025 Though Sutherland would appear in a few more films before his death last week (including Ad Astra, which has a valedictory quality, too), The Burnt Orange Heresy provides that unlikely sense of closure. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 25 June 2024
Noun
Her Board of Governors Award from the ASC on February 22 sure had a valedictory feel to it. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2025 George Washington’s farewell address, a long valedictory letter written largely by Alexander Hamilton, and published in Claypoole’s Daily Advertiser, in September, 1796, was an eloquent rationale for his departure from public life and for the need for peaceful transitions of power. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for valedictory

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from New Latin valedictōrius, from Latin valedic-, alternate stem of vale dīcere, valedīcere "to say goodbye" + -tōrius, adjective suffix (originally derivatives of agent nouns ending in -tōr-, -tor) — more at valediction

Noun

noun derivative of valedictory entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1651, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1779, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of valedictory was in 1651

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Cite this Entry

“Valedictory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valedictory. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

valedictory

adjective
vale·​dic·​to·​ry
ˌval-ə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē
: of or relating to a leaving : expressing a farewell

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