noun
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the act or an instance of welcoming or saluting on meeting
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(often plural)
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an expression of friendly salutation
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( as modifier )
a greetings card
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Other Word Forms
- greetingless adjective
Etymology
Origin of greeting
before 900; Middle English, Old English gretinge. See greet 1, -ing 1
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.
From slipping on his tux to greeting celebs on the red carpet, here are the highlights.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
“Before you got away, it got pretty bad, did it?” he asked her in the greeting line.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
After greeting students, chasing a football around, "attacking" shoelaces and tights, and exploring parts of the school she has never seen before, the pitter-patter of puppy paws slows down.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
His official biography on the Downing Street website says apart from rodent control: "Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality."
From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026
He’d not been met with her shrieking, spilling greeting.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
