valedictorian
Americannoun
adjective
-
saying goodbye
-
of or relating to a farewell or an occasion of farewell
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of valedictorian
An Americanism dating back to 1750–60; valedictory + -an
Compare meaning
How does valedictorian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The valedictorian is usually the student with the highest grades in a class. If the valedictorian of your class is someone you like and admire, you'll enjoy listening to her graduation speech. At a high school or university graduation, the valedictorian traditionally gives a farewell speech, called a valedictory. This person is almost always the student in the class with the very best academic record. The origin of the word valedictorian is the Latin valedicere, which means "bid farewell." Valedicere in turn comes from valere, "be well," and dicere, "to say."
Vocabulary lists containing valedictorian
You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Graduation Lexicon
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Scholarship Jacket" by Marta Salinas
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
After graduating as the valedictorian of her high school, she won a scholarship to attend what is now Virginia State University.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
Adams was valedictorian at Windham-Ashland-Jewett Central School, got his bachelor’s in economics from Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., and then moved to California, where he earned a master’s in business administration at UC Berkeley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026
She went on to become valedictorian of her public high school and the first member of her family to go to college.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2025
“A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers,” the billionaire added.
From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2024
As the class valedictorian, I have special front-row seats for my family.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
Fernando and Osmin were both valedictorians of their high school, and each earned a merit scholarship that covered tuition and housing at Loyola University New Orleans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
He graduated in 1994 as one of 24 valedictorians at his high school.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 27, 2024
They did find a handful of players who had been listed as valedictorians, including Hall of Famer Johnny Bench and just-retired pitcher Trevor May.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
Determining whether she is the most “qualified” of the shortlister, though, is like picking out the smartest student in a class of valedictorians.
From Slate ● Feb. 25, 2022
I now see why so many promising young men, class orators, valedictorians and the like fall by the wayside and are never heard from after commencement day.
From The Strength of Gideon and Other Stories by Dunbar, Paul Laurence
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.
