congratulatory

American

[kuhn-grach-uh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, -graj-, kuhng-] / kənˈgrætʃ ə ləˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, -ˈgrædʒ-, kəŋ- /

adjective

expressing or conveying congratulations.

a congratulatory telegram.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of congratulatory

1515–25; < Medieval Latin congrātulātōrius, equivalent to Latin congrātulā ( rī ) ( see congratulate) + -tōrious -tory ¹

Vocabulary lists containing congratulatory

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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.

Several were congratulatory - he's a popular figure in the Park ward of Calderdale, West Yorkshire, having served there for Labour since 2021.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

County Supervisor Janice Hahn began the ceremony with congratulatory remarks, stating, “The voters of Whittier spoke.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Xi sent a "congratulatory message" to Doumbouya on Sunday, state news agency Xinhua reported.

From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026

“Eastward, Westward” is the opposite of congratulatory: It is courtly and self-effacing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

The police got ready, the gambling houses got ready, and the papers set up congratulatory editorials in advance.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023