valedictory

1 of 2

adjective

val·​e·​dic·​to·​ry ˌva-lə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē 

: 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

: valediction sense 1

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."

Synonyms

Adjective

• farewell
• parting

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

Adjective

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

But the olive branch is a reminder of the valedictory nature of most formal portraits. —Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2023

Noun

Luigi Mangione delivering the valedictory speech at his 2016 graduation from Baltimore's Gilman School. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 10 Dec. 2024

For Judy Murray to toss a bit of fuel on the fire that Raducanu had begun working hard to snuff out suggested a singular vision about the priorities of the fortnight, which for the players remaining in the singles draws, is to win titles rather than provide a stage for valedictories. —Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 7 July 2024

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

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Kids Definition

valedictory

adjective

vale·​dic·​to·​ry

ˌval-ə-ˈdik-t(ə-)rē

: of or relating to a leaving : expressing a farewell