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 its gentle rhythm and soothing illustrations, the story creates a calming bedtime ritual as the bunny bids farewell to everything in his world one by one. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 26 June 2026

The Landry family bid viewers farewell on Sunday night, with the season 4 finale of The Way Home serving as the definite conclusion to Hallmark's multigenerational, century spanning drama. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026

Noun

Series stars Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston took to social media to bid farewell to the series and tease at what fans can look forward to in the upcoming installment. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026

When Putellas announced her departure, Serrajordi was one of the most emotional players at the farewell ceremony, despite having played alongside her for just one season. — Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Verb

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal farewells supporters with tears after a defeat to Spain during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 16 match. — Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

With its gentle rhythm and soothing illustrations, the story creates a calming bedtime ritual as the bunny bids farewell to everything in his world one by one. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 26 June 2026

Adjective

On Monday, Starmer will say his farewell speech to the public before going to Buckingham Palace to hold a short meeting with the king and formally resign. — ABC News, 18 July 2026

Da Beauty League leaders announced a few months ago that this season was the farewell tour. — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 17 July 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