salutation

[sal-yuh-tey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of saluting. salute.

2. something uttered, written, or done by way of saluting. salute.

3. a word or phrase serving as the prefatory greeting in a letter or speech, as Dear Sir in a letter or Ladies and Gentlemen in a speech.

salutation

/ ˌsæljʊˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. an act, phrase, gesture, etc, that serves as a greeting

2. a form of words used as an opening to a speech or letter, such as Dear Sir or Ladies and Gentlemen

3. the act of saluting

Other Word Forms

• salutational adjective
• salutationless adjective
• nonsalutation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of salutation¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin salūtātiōn- (stem of salūtātiō ) greeting, equivalent to salūtāt ( us ) (past participle of salūtāre to greet; salute, -ate ¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of salutation¹

C14: from Latin salūtātiō, from salūtāre to greet; see _salute

Example Sentences

When you learn to write letters, you’re told that the body is everything between the salutation and the closing.

From Salon

Only April Ryan gave her a deadpan, sober salutation: “Welcome to the briefing room.”

From Salon

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” became a gender-neutral salutation to “dreamers of all ages.”

From Los Angeles Times

On Sept. 27, , police found an abandoned van, its exterior spray-painted with the salutation, “Welcome to Culiacán.”

From Los Angeles Times

Think of Leigh’s subsequent sculpture as a monument to its headless-ness — at once a mockery of Joséphine’s thoughtless ignorance and a captivating salutation to the actual power of symbolic resistance.

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What does salutation mean?

A salutation is a word, phrase, or gesture used as a greeting.Most commonly, salutation refers to the introductory greeting in a letter or email (such as Dear Professor Smith), or the way you greet a person when you see them in real life (such as saying hello and shaking their hand). Salutations can be formal or informal. Less commonly, salutation refers to the action of saluting.Example: To avoid spreading germs, many people are abandoning the traditional handshake in favor of salutations that don’t involve touching.