salutatorian
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of salutatorian
An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; salutatory + -an
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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.
Vocabulary lists containing salutatorian
A Graduation Lexicon
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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.
Kirby was the Mariners’ rookie salutatorian last year, but was vastly overshadowed by Rodriguez.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 5, 2023
Page, the salutatorian, hugged his family as they met him outside the arena.
From Washington Post • Jun. 21, 2022
After graduating high school as salutatorian, he went on to Stanford to study computer science but wound up studying art and literature.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2021
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
“Before we end the ceremony, there are a few more parting words. The first are from your salutatorian, Tucker Beaumont.”
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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.
