valedictorian

American  

[val-i-dik-tawr-ee-uhn, -tohr-] / ˌvæl ɪ dɪkˈtɔr i ən, -ˈtoʊr- /

noun

1. a student, usually the one ranking highest academically in a school graduating class, who delivers the valedictory at the commencement exercises.

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valedictorian British  

/ ˌvælɪdɪkˈtɔːrɪən /

adjective

1. saying goodbye

2. of or relating to a farewell or an occasion of farewell

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noun

1. a person, usually the most outstanding graduate, who delivers a farewell speech at a graduation ceremony

Etymology

Origin of valedictorian

An Americanism dating back to 1750–60; valedictory + -an

Compare meaning

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

• valedictorian vs. salutatorian

Explanation

The valedictorian is usually the student with the highest grades in a class. If the valedictorian of your class is someone you like and admire, you'll enjoy listening to her graduation speech. At a high school or university graduation, the valedictorian traditionally gives a farewell speech, called a valedictory. This person is almost always the student in the class with the very best academic record. The origin of the word valedictorian is the Latin valedicere, which means "bid farewell." Valedicere in turn comes from valere, "be well," and dicere, "to say."

Example Sentences

Fatoke, the valedictorian, became a certified nursing assistant at Worcester Tech high school, and is now in college on a pre-med track.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

Now he’s 6 feet 3, 205 pounds, only 16 years old, has a football scholarship offer from Stanford and wants to be his school’s valedictorian in 2027.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025

“A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers,” the billionaire added.

From Salon • Dec. 27, 2024

The former valedictorian of an elite Baltimore prep school and Ivy League graduate shared posts on social media from an eclectic stream of populists, entrepreneurs, neuroscientists, centrists and disruptors.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 14, 2024

At this rate, Lou and I will be vying to give the school's valedictorian speech in June.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins