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
: of or relating to leave-taking : final
a farewell performance
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
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
On our sailing, guests would say farewell or hop on for the first time at every port.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2025
Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
In keeping with tradition, the Mass will include a homily and communion and end with a final commendation and farewell.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
On our sailing, guests would say farewell or hop on for the first time at every port.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2025
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
You may be poured a farewell glass grappa on the house.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for farewell
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Imperative verb
So farewell to Clean Slate and farewell to the entire Freevee half-hour slate, now cleaned off the board.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
On our sailing, guests would say farewell or hop on for the first time at every port.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2025
Noun
Hundreds of thousands of mourners have already lined up to pay their respects and bid farewell to Pope Francis ahead of the funeral on Saturday morning, April 26.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
In keeping with tradition, the Mass will include a homily and communion and end with a final commendation and farewell.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
So farewell to Clean Slate and farewell to the entire Freevee half-hour slate, now cleaned off the board.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
On our sailing, guests would say farewell or hop on for the first time at every port.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
Most egregious is the woman who complains to Li that her daughter, a close friend of Vincent’s, did not receive a farewell text from him, as two others had.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
You may be poured a farewell glass grappa on the house.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for farewell
Cite this Entry
“Farewell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/farewell. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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 noun1
: 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
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