salutatorian

American  

[suh-loo-tuh-tawr-ee-uhn, -tohr-] / səˌlu təˈtɔr i ən, -ˈtoʊr- /

noun

1. (in some U.S. schools and colleges) the student ranking second highest in the graduating class, who delivers the salutatory at commencement.

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Etymology

Origin of salutatorian

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; salutatory + -an

Compare meaning

How does salutatorian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• valedictorian vs. salutatorian

Example Sentences

Then there’s Justin Walton, the salutatorian and one of Plumlee’s closest friends.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2023

At Roosevelt’s ceremony Tuesday, class salutatorian Winston Page said that while each graduating class has had its own struggles, he doubted any other class had struggles “quite as unique as ours.”

From Washington Post • Jun. 21, 2022

One incident that caused a stir involved Nacharlesia Floyd, the high school’s salutatorian in 2017, who planned to give a speech that described the struggles of African-American students in the school.

From New York Times • Oct. 25, 2020

Excelling in both academics and athletics, he graduated as Mabton High School’s Class of 1957 salutatorian.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 29, 2020

“Before we end the ceremony, there are a few more parting words. The first are from your salutatorian, Tucker Beaumont.”

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia