welcome
Americaninterjection
noun
-
welcomes
plural
verb (used with object)
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welcomes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
welcomed,
past participle, past
-
welcoming
present participle
-
to greet the arrival of (a person, guests, etc.) with pleasure or kindly courtesy.
-
to receive or accept with pleasure; regard as pleasant or good.
to welcome a change.
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to meet, accept, or receive (an action, challenge, person, etc.) in a specified, especially unfriendly, manner.
They welcomed him with hisses and catcalls.
adjective
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gladly received, as one whose arrival gives pleasure.
a welcome visitor.
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agreeable, as something arriving, occurring, or experienced.
a welcome rest.
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given full right by the cordial consent of others.
She is welcome to try it.
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without obligation for the courtesy, favor, or service received (used as a conventional response to expressions of thanks): He thanked me, and I told him he was welcome.
You're quite welcome; I'm glad you like the gift.
He thanked me, and I told him he was welcome.
idioms
adjective
-
gladly and cordially received or admitted
a welcome guest
-
bringing pleasure or gratitude
a welcome gift
-
freely permitted or invited
you are welcome to call
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under no obligation (only in such phrases as you're welcome or he's welcome , as conventional responses to thanks)
noun
-
the act of greeting or receiving a person or thing; reception
the new theory had a cool welcome
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to come more often or stay longer than is acceptable or pleasing
verb
-
to greet the arrival of (visitors, guests, etc) cordially or gladly
-
to receive or accept, esp gladly
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prewelcomenoun
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welcomenessnoun
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welcomernoun
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unwelcomeadjective
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unwelcomedadjective
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unwelcomingadjective
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welcomelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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welcomesimple
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welcomessimple
-
have welcomedperfect
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has welcomedperfect
-
am welcomingprogressive
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are welcomingprogressive
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is welcomingprogressive
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have been welcomingperfect progressive
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has been welcomingperfect progressive
Past
-
welcomedsimple
-
had welcomedperfect
-
was welcomingprogressive
-
were welcomingprogressive
-
had been welcomingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of welcome
First recorded before 900; Middle English, from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse velkominn, equivalent to vel well 1 + kominn come (past participle); replacing Old English wilcuma “one who is welcome,” equivalent to wil- welcome ( see will 2) + cuma “comer”
Explanation
A welcome is a greeting that usually comes when you first arrive. Although you aren't fond of Aunt Martha, you always manage to give her a warm welcome when she comes to visit. When you accept someone into your home courteously, especially upon arrival, you welcome them. When you visit your grandparents, they welcome you with open arms and a plate of homemade cookies. They might even shout, "Welcome!" when you walk in the door. Welcome also means to gladly accept. The president of the French club will welcome your fundraising idea, especially if it involves baked goods.
Vocabulary lists containing welcome
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:
There is also the arrival gate that does not look like a typical five-star welcome.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
“We are encouraged that we continue to welcome back more guests,” Masino told investors in March.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Unified was in compliance, saying their budget provides “a detailed, board-approved plan to close its projected deficit, and we welcome a good-faith review of whether that plan is adequate,” they wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
“That will welcome summer,” he told me, “and will give you strength and good luck for the whole of the year.”
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
Certainly, he hadn’t expected a warm welcome in Fernlight.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Austin welcomes competition of any and all ages, seeing it as a worthy challenge and a path that will only make him better.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Across Spain, San Juan welcomes summer with infernos and midnight rituals.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
That was 26 years ago, and Pam has since died, but Val still welcomes visitors and school groups to show them the toys of the past.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
After his second meeting as chairman this week, Warsh told reporters he welcomes spirited discussion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The breeze welcomes them, skidding over the surface of my skin, raising hair after hair, tingling, awakening every exposed inch of me.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Their father, David, who played football at Dartmouth and became an orthopedic surgeon, welcomed the competition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The Oceania Football Confederation said it welcomed Fifa's decision to withdraw the proposal, but stopped short of declaring or withdrawing support for Infantino.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The country welcomed 21% more travelers from January to May compared with the same period in 2025, according to the Bank of Greece.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Lakers legend Magic Johnson, a former part-owner of the team and past president of basketball operations, welcomed the deal in an X post.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
They’d bleat in bliss, and the chickens and rooster would cluster around his feet as if they, too, welcomed him home.
From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins
South Belfast MLA Kate Nicholl said the Fleadh showed "Belfast at its best, open, welcoming and full of life".
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
I was a regular staple at his welcoming household.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“We reached out to Loudoun County in Virginia, whose budget was in the red before they started welcoming more data centers. Now they’re operating in the black.”
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
But the way up remains far more welcoming for finance and operating chiefs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
When Ku-Ang touched the water, a crashing roar echoed and the entire sea opened, as if welcoming an honored ruler.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
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.
