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.
Evans is at least guaranteed a farewell to the tournament as he has been given a doubles wildcard alongside 2023 Wimbledon boys' champion Henry Searle.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
"The Claw" now stands on the same storied lawn where president Bill Clinton hosted the 1993 Oslo peace accords signing and Richard Nixon gave his final farewell.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
A site of big changes, the Music Center has become farewell central.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 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
“Well, think of it as a farewell tour.”
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
