farewell
interjection
goodbye; may you fare well.
Showing results for farewell.
farewell
1 American
[fair-wel]
/ ˌfɛərˈwɛl /
interjection
noun
-
farewells
plural
-
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.
adjective
Farewell
2
American
[fair-wel]
/ ˌfɛərˈwɛl /
noun
farewell
British
/ ˌfɛəˈwɛl /
noun
-
a parting salutation
-
an act of departure; leave-taking
-
(modifier) expressing leave-taking
a farewell speech
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of farewell
First recorded in 1325–75, farewell is from the Middle English word farwel. See fare, well 1
Explanation
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."
Vocabulary lists containing farewell
The Cricket in Times Square
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"The Three Chicarrones"
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for July 8–July 14, 2023
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
TV host Dr. Phil McGraw and his wife, Robin McGraw, are ready to bid farewell to their longtime Beverly Hills, Calif., estate, putting the lavish property on the market for an eye-watering $67.5 million.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
The kahu kiwi was one of the farewell gifts presented by Māori leaders in 1900 to Dr George Cleghorn, a medical doctor who had been working in New Zealand.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The Tulsa concert was a stop on Journey’s Final Frontier farewell tour, which launched in February in Pennsylvania.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo are bidding farewell to their $7 million Tennessee home, which the country singer handed over to his former wife following their divorce.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
Then quietly they bade each other farewell, and Vetch turned and went down the stone hallway, and left Roke.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
"Farewell old friend x," Larry posted on his X account, brushing aside rumours of rivalry between the pair.
From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026
New Zealand's conservation department has deployed rangers, a boat and a drone to Farewell Spit to monitor any further strandings.
From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026
Farewell, Doctor: This week, Disney+ ended its three-year partnership with the BBC to stream “Doctor Who.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2025
Simon expected that too — he’d billed the event as his “Homeward Bound — Farewell Tour.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2025
Late in August of 1796, at the same time he was making final revisions on his Farewell Address, Washington wrote his Address to the Cherokee Nation.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
After being asked by King Charles III to form the next government, Burnham, 56, is due to make his first speech Monday outside 10 Downing Street shortly after Starmer has said his farewells.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
When the participants tried to end a conversation, researchers had the companion either reply with the same manipulative farewells they had observed popular AI companions use or, in the control condition, say goodbye.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
He said his emotional farewells in front of the PSG 'ultras', but where next for the Italy keeper?
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2025
Instead of the traditional party — and an accompanying feast of pizza, papusas and other Mexican and Central American delicacies — students handed in their borrowed instruments Friday and quietly said their farewells.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2025
The pleasant afternoon flew by, and at last the time came for Penelope and Cecily to say their farewells.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
