farewell
interjection
goodbye; may you fare well.
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:
By the end of Act 2, when the separated spouses were finally brought together only to face death, their farewell duet was incandescent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The theme also dominated his six-minute farewell video timed to release after death.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Jaissle briefly spoke to Guimaraes at the club's training camp in Spain earlier this week, but the 28-year-old went on to bid an emotional farewell to his team-mates and club staff.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
But that would mean saying farewell to daylight during California’s late summer days.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“I’ll be there. But I don’t like the farewell part.”
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
"Farewell old friend x," Larry posted on his X account, brushing aside rumours of rivalry between the pair.
From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026
Farewell, Doctor: This week, Disney+ ended its three-year partnership with the BBC to stream “Doctor Who.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2025
Aerosmith announced its decision to step away from live performances after Tyler injured his vocal cords during a September 2023 show on the group’s Peace Out: The Farewell Tour.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025
The band's Final Farewell Tour runs from 14 June and will end with a performance on the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury on 27 June.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2025
He pointed to where the tree had stood under which Bilbo had made his Farewell Speech.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Chinese users of AI-powered companion bots have bid heart-rending farewells to their virtual buddies as national regulations took effect Wednesday aimed at curbing the risk of emotional dependency.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 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
"She's talking to us about life after she's gone. She's started to do her farewells."
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2025
However, it is not good journalism, and not just because the past few months have shown that Musk's farewells mean nothing.
From Salon ● May 30, 2025
“Children, say your farewells, and let us fly, shall we?”
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
