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:
The theme also dominated his six-minute farewell video timed to release after death.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
The drummer and sometimes singer from the Band, a group that backed Bob Dylan for a time and had its own star-studded farewell concert captured on film by Martin Scorsese, had declared bankruptcy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
She said the funds raised would help ensure "beautiful Eleri is given the funeral she truly deserves, a farewell filled with dignity, love and respect".
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Less than a year later, in June 1986, the duo performed together for the last time at their farewell concert, The Final, at Wembley Stadium.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
A posse of officials—I recognized the museum’s director—and a single photographer made up a farewell party.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
"Farewell old friend x," Larry posted on his X account, brushing aside rumours of rivalry between the pair.
From Barron's ● Feb. 15, 2026
Mass strandings regularly occur at Farewell Spit, located on the northern-most tip of the South Island.
From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026
Farewell, Doctor: This week, Disney+ ended its three-year partnership with the BBC to stream “Doctor Who.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2025
Simon expected that too — he’d billed the event as his “Homeward Bound — Farewell Tour.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2025
Having found it, I could say what you can only say when you’ve truly come to know a place: Farewell.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
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
Rosenior said his farewells at Strasbourg on Tuesday morning before signing a six‑and‑a‑half‑year contract at Chelsea.
From BBC ● Jan. 6, 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
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
When we’re done with dessert, it’s almost eleven p.m., and all we have left to do is load up the cars and say our farewells.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
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.
