envoi

noun

en·​voi ˈen-ˌvoi How to pronounce envoi (audio) ˈän- How to pronounce envoi (audio)
variants or envoy
: the usually explanatory or commendatory concluding remarks to a poem, essay, or book
especially : a short final stanza of a ballad serving as a summary or dedication

Examples of envoi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The new Oxford edition, ever dutiful, treats us to the poet’s earnest envoi, its stanzas stiff with respectable yearning. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 An environmental envoi, perhaps, with Buzz washed up on a beach alongside other jetsam, or clogging the gullet of a whale? Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'envoi.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English envoye, from Middle French envoi, literally, message, from Old French envei, from enveier to send on one's way, from Vulgar Latin *inviare, from Latin in- + via way — more at way

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of envoi was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near envoi

Cite this Entry

“Envoi.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/envoi. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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