an expression of good wishes at parting.
They made their farewells and left.
a fond farewell.
a party given to a person who is about to embark on a long journey, retire, leave an organization, etc.
a parting salutation
an act of departure; leave-taking
(modifier) expressing leave-taking
a farewell speech
First recorded in 1325–75, farewell is from the Middle English word farwel. See fare, well 1
If you’re saying goodbye to someone you might not see for long time, say farewell, preferably while waving a hankie from the Queen Mary before it sails across the Atlantic. Farewell is a fancy way to say goodbye. A farewell is also an expression of good wishes at a parting. If you’re leaving a job after being there a long time, your co-workers might throw you a farewell party. Farewell is an expression, like "goodbye," but also a noun — if you like to leave without a lot of fuss, you don’t like long farewells. Farewell is a combination of fare and well. Fare comes from the Old English word faran, which means "to journey."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But he was upset he did not get the opportunity to say farewell to them in Liverpool's final Premier League game of the season against Bournemouth a week ago.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
Friday was his last day as part of the administration, according to a farewell note sent to GSA staff viewed by the Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
Given the cancer diagnosis, did Manilow worry that fans might interpret the song — a teary goodbye from a well-wishing lover — as a more permanent farewell?
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Cheering crowds waved Chinese flags at a farewell ceremony ahead of the launch, while a band played and the three astronauts saluted on stage.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
But like I’ve said before, he’s the type who has to have the last word, and he did throw out a final farewell before I faded into the night.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
