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
Examples of valedictory in a Sentence
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
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
Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
With all of the charges against Mr. Trump now dismissed, the two-volume report — only part of which may now see the light of day — was meant to be Mr. Smith’s valedictory word on his efforts to hold Mr. Trump accountable for a remarkable array of criminal allegations.
—Alan Feuer, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for valedictory 
Dictionary Entries Near valedictory
Cite this Entry
“Valedictory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valedictory. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share