salutation

American  

[sal-yuh-tey-shuhn] / ˌsæl jəˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

• salutations
  plural

1. the act of saluting.

2. something uttered, written, or done by way of saluting.

3. a word or phrase serving as the prefatory greeting in a letter or speech, as Dear Sir in a letter or Ladies and Gentlemen in a speech.

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salutation British  

/ ˌsæljʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. an act, phrase, gesture, etc, that serves as a greeting

2. a form of words used as an opening to a speech or letter, such as Dear Sir or Ladies and Gentlemen

3. the act of saluting

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Usage

What does salutation mean? A salutation is a word, phrase, or gesture used as a greeting. Most commonly, salutation refers to the introductory greeting in a letter or email (such as Dear Professor Smith), or the way you greet a person when you see them in real life (such as saying hello and shaking their hand). Salutations can be formal or informal. Less commonly, salutation refers to the action of saluting. Example: To avoid spreading germs, many people are abandoning the traditional handshake in favor of salutations that don’t involve touching.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsalutation
  noun
• salutational
  adjective
• salutationless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• salutations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of salutation

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin salūtātiōn- (stem of salūtātiō ) greeting, equivalent to salūtāt ( us ) (past participle of salūtāre to greet; see salute, -ate ¹) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

A salutation is a greeting, whether it's "Dear sir" in a letter or "Hey there!" in person. The expression "Greetings and salutations!" contains two words meaning pretty much the same thing: A salutation is a form of greeting. In a letter, the salutation is the part that says "To whom it may concern" or "Dear John." When we talk, we give salutations like "hello," "hi there," "hey," and "welcome." Another more formal type of salutation gives honor to others — like a salute.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

salutation salutations

In a warm, cuddly segment, he taught Elmo the meaning of the salutation “as-salamu alaykum.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026

If you’re still in a “Happy New Year” state of mind, you’re probably not alone, even if there’s debate about how far into January you can offer such a salutation.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 16, 2026

In the letter to Pfizer, Trump crossed out “Dr. Bourla” in the salutation and wrote “Albert” with a marker, a sign of their familiarity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2025

Only April Ryan gave her a deadpan, sober salutation: “Welcome to the briefing room.”

From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2025

He typed the date and salutation and plunged straight into a conventional apology for his “clumsy and inconsiderate behavior.”

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

My mind immediately slotted it amongst the many generic salutations students often received from college deans, campus safety, dining halls and resident advisors — but then I began to read.

From Salon ● Mar. 2, 2024

Government ministers tried to address these concerns by guaranteeing that sun salutations would be optional, though some dissenters are not assured.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 19, 2023

“I think the salutations and stuff like that have to be more minimized.”

From Washington Times ● Apr. 14, 2023

“He’s waking up,” the guide said as we watched a great blue heron perform avian sun salutations on a cottonwood branch.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 11, 2019

He had called out his bright “Greetings and salutations, fellow elves!”

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin