farewell

1 of 4

imperative verb

fare·​well fer-ˈwel 

: get along well

—used interjectionally to or by one departing

farewell

2 of 4

noun

fare·​well fer-ˈwel 

1

: a wish of well-being at parting : goodbye

said their farewells and headed home

2

a

: an act of departure : leave-taking

I will take my farewell of this place tomorrow.

b

: a formal occasion honoring a person about to leave or retire

held a great farewell for the retiring senator

farewell

3 of 4

verb

fare·​well fer-ˈwel 

transitive

chiefly Australia and New Zealand

: to bid farewell to

farewell

4 of 4

adjective

fare·​well ˈfer-ˌwel 

: of or relating to leave-taking : final

a farewell performance

Synonyms of farewell

Noun

• ave
• good-bye

Adjective

• final
• last
• valedictory
• parting

Examples of farewell in a Sentence

Noun

They said their farewells and headed home.

the exchange student and her host family said their tearful farewells, promising to keep in touch

Verb

The retiring teacher was farewelled by the whole school at a special assembly.

Adjective

The band gave a farewell concert.

the singer's farewell tour seemed to last almost as long as her entire career

Recent Examples on the Web

Imperative verb

With drooping eyebrows, Hollywell bids farewell and invites me to hang out again tomorrow. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026

From arrival to farewell, our own driver-guides remained at their disposal, giving them the freedom to explore without ever thinking about logistics. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

Noun

That would be the move from the playbook of the Who, Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Tina Turner, Slayer, and just about every other act in music history that staged farewell tours. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026

After bidding the depot a second farewell, Starship will ascend to high Earth orbit to meet Orion. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026

Verb

With drooping eyebrows, Hollywell bids farewell and invites me to hang out again tomorrow. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026

From arrival to farewell, our own driver-guides remained at their disposal, giving them the freedom to explore without ever thinking about logistics. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

Adjective

That honor went to Sherri Shepherd for her farewell season of Sherri, which ended in May 2026. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2026

Bodega Taqueria y Tequila The homegrown taco spot has closed its Miracle Mile location in Coral Gables after two and a half years, following a farewell party at the end of July. — Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Imperative Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1580, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1669, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for farewell

• bagatelle
• calomel
• caravel
• carousel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• coronel
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle

Kids Definition

farewell

1 of 3 imperative verb

fare·​well fa(ə)r-ˈwel 

fe(ə)r-

: get along well

—used to or by one departing

farewell

2 of 3 noun

1

: an expression of good wishes at parting : good-bye

2

: an act of departure

farewell

3 of 3 adjective

fare·​well

ˌfa(ə)r-ˌwel, 

ˌfe(ə)r-

: of or relating to a time or act of leaving : final

a farewell concert