farewell

¹

[ fair-wel ]

interjection

1. goodbye; may you fare well:

   Farewell, and may we meet again in happier times.

noun

1. an expression of good wishes at parting:

   They made their farewells and left.

2. leave-taking; departure:

   a fond farewell.

3. a party given to a person who is about to embark on a long journey, retire, leave an organization, etc.

adjective

1. parting; valedictory; final:

   a farewell performance.

Farewell

²

[ fair-wel ]

noun

1. Cape, a cape in S Greenland: most southerly point of Greenland.

farewell

/ ˌfɛəˈwɛl /

sentence substitute

1. goodbye; adieu

noun

1. a parting salutation
2. an act of departure; leave-taking
3. modifier expressing leave-taking

   a farewell speech

verb

1. to honour (a person) at his departure, retirement, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of farewell¹

First recorded in 1325–75, farewell is from the Middle English word farwel. See fare, well ¹

Example Sentences

As medical TV drama Doctors says farewell with its final episode later, a 9,000-signature petition to try to save it shows just how much it resonated with audiences.

From BBC

Accompanying the post was a photo of Di’Anno’s friends and family, who over the weekend hosted a show in his honor at the Underworld Camden, a live-music venue in London: “With a magnificent musical set, his musical colleagues said a worthy farewell to their friend.”

From Los Angeles Times

At his farewell on Friday, the outgoing chief justice said he was perhaps India’s most trolled judge, but his “shoulders are broad enough to accept all criticism”.

From BBC

Dwight D. Eisenhower, who did consult with Congress over the need to protect U.S.-allied Pacific coastal islands from possible Chinese aggression and, in his farewell address, warned against “the military-industrial complex,” still believed “that the president had broad powers to engage in covert warfare without specific congressional approval.”

From Salon

“We bid farewell to Tony Todd, a giant of cinema and a beloved soul whose impact on our lives and the world of film will never be forgotten.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adieu
• bon voyage
• goodbye