salutatorian

American  

[suh-loo-tuh-tawr-ee-uhn, -tohr-] / səˌlu təˈtɔr i ən, -ˈtoʊr- /

noun

1. (in some U.S. schools and colleges) the student ranking second highest in the graduating class, who delivers the salutatory at commencement.

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Etymology

Origin of salutatorian

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; salutatory + -an

Compare meaning

How does salutatorian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• valedictorian vs. salutatorian

Explanation

A salutatorian is a graduate who finished with the second highest rank in his or her class. Only the valedictorian did better. Being the salutatorian of your graduating class is a great honor. Traditionally, the salutatorian gives the opening remarks at the graduation ceremony. So, just as a salutation is a greeting, a salutatorian is responsible for offering a formal greeting at the event. Having been a salutatorian looks great on a resume, as long as you spell it correctly.

Example Sentences

Then there’s Justin Walton, the salutatorian and one of Plumlee’s closest friends.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2023

“That James did not end up class salutatorian may seem unfair. It was surely disappointing. But it was not unconstitutional,” Duncan wrote.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 19, 2022

“These are students who are graduating salutatorian or valedictorian and, unfortunately, just had a very difficult time continuing with their higher education pursuits because of the cost,” Henderson said.

From Washington Post • Jan. 27, 2022

One incident that caused a stir involved Nacharlesia Floyd, the high school’s salutatorian in 2017, who planned to give a speech that described the struggles of African-American students in the school.

From New York Times • Oct. 25, 2020

She was in the spelling bee, she was in the Academic Olympics, she was the salutatorian of her class.

From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones