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

One lonely black olive tree will say farewell to Las Olas Boulevard on Thursday, leaving only 14 standing until their day too comes. —Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art bids farewell to its historic Overton Park home with a climactic exhibition that is both a celebration of the past and a bridge to the future. —John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 27 Feb. 2026

Noun

Also among the many people who had come to wish Ayala a fond farewell? —Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026

Dolly Parton first wrote the song in 1973 as a farewell to Porter Wagoner, who had been her longtime colleague and mentor. —Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026

Verb

Fond farewells to Sugar the Surfing Dog Huntington Beach, California, was in mourning for Sugar the Surfing Dog, the first dog to be inducted into the Surfers’ Hall of Fame. —Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026

This spring, many teachers and staff members will say farewell to their home campuses. —Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 22 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Finally, wind down with a farewell dinner in 12South, then end the night at Station Inn — generally cash-only cover, no frills, just great music. —Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026

The Austalian shows followed Wu-Tang’s European leg of their farewell tour. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 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
• caravel
• carousel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle
• infidel
• isabel

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