definitions
  • synonyms

adieu

[ uh-doo, uh-dyoo; French a-dyœ ]
/ əˈdu, əˈdyu; French aˈdyœ /
|

interjection

goodbye; farewell.

noun, plural a·dieus, a·dieux [uh-dooz, uh-dyooz; French a-dyœ] /əˈduz, əˈdyuz; French aˈdyœ/.

the act of leaving or departing; farewell.

RELATED WORDS

farewell, goodbye, valediction, parting, leave-taking, adios

Nearby words

adichie, adie, adie syndrome, adie's pupil, adient, adieu, adige, adighe, adigranth, adin, adios

Origin of adieu

1325–75; Middle English < Middle French, equivalent to a (< Latin ad to) + dieu (< Latin deus god)
Can be confusedà deux adieu ado (see synonym study at ado)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for adieux

British Dictionary definitions for adieux

adieu

/ (əˈdjuː, French adjø) /

sentence substitute, noun plural adieus or adieux (əˈdjuːz, French adjø)

goodbye; farewell

Word Origin for adieu

C14: from Old French, from a to + dieu God
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for adieux

adieu

late 14c., adewe, from French adieu, from phrase a dieu (vous) commant "I commend (you) to God," from a "to" (see ad) + dieu "God," from Latin deum, accusative of deus "god," from PIE *deiwos (see Zeus). Originally said to the party left; farewell was to the party setting forth.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper