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

While this loss leaves a silence that words can never fill, farewell messages adorned a growing memorial for both Mikey and Millie, where tributes of light were offered to them. — Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 7 Aug. 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

Noun

Lionel Messi’s exit from Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo’s looming farewell signal the end of an era that helped fuel the sport’s global boom. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026

The group opened for Television and Patti Smith at Cleveland’s Piccadilly club in 1975, although the band only lasted for a few more months, performing their farewell show that August. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Verb

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

While this loss leaves a silence that words can never fill, farewell messages adorned a growing memorial for both Mikey and Millie, where tributes of light were offered to them. — Andrew Ramos, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026

Adjective

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert cleaned up for its farewell season, winning for writing, shortform comedy, picture editing, technical direction and camerawork, and lighting design. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

The story follows a Cantonese opera performer in his 70s staging one final show as a farewell gesture of love for his terminally ill wife. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Sep. 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