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.

---

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

“These are students who are graduating salutatorian or valedictorian and, unfortunately, just had a very difficult time continuing with their higher education pursuits because of the cost,” Henderson said.

From Washington Post • Jan. 27, 2022

After graduating as Princeton’s 2006 salutatorian, Padilla earned a master’s degree from Oxford and a doctorate from Stanford.

From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2021

She also struggled initially with coursework, attempting to translate her Chicago secondary education, where she graduated as salutatorian, to the rigors of university work.

From The Guardian • Jul. 31, 2020

“They're kind of laid-back about body art. I mean, I'm salutatorian, so I guess they figured I can't be a complete mess if I'm getting straight A's.”

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman