farewell

1 of 4

imperative verb

fare·​well fer-ˈwel How to pronounce farewell (audio)
: get along well
used interjectionally to or by one departing

farewell

2 of 4

noun

fare·​well fer-ˈwel How to pronounce farewell (audio)
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 How to pronounce farewell (audio)

transitive verb

chiefly Australia and New Zealand
: to bid farewell to

farewell

4 of 4

adjective

fare·​well ˈfer-ˌwel How to pronounce farewell (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Imperative verb
Ticket window: Just a reminder that tickets for a stop on The Who farewell tour at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Aug. 16 will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, May 16, at SeatGeek.com. Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 15 May 2025 The Who farewell tour tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. May 16, thewho.com/tour/. There are also a The Who farewell tour tickets presale for Citi cardholders that runs from 10 a.m. May 13 to 10 p.m. May 15, www.citientertainment.com. Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 8 May 2025
Noun
His career ended not with a farewell tour but with a crash at Pocono in 2022. Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 The Who is set to embark on a North American farewell tour titled The Song Is Over. Edward Segarra, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Verb
Ticket window: Just a reminder that tickets for a stop on The Who farewell tour at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Aug. 16 will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, May 16, at SeatGeek.com. Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 15 May 2025 In August, Springsteen shut down retirement and farewell tour rumors when speaking to his crowd at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 19 Oct. 2024
Adjective
On the heels of what is expected to be his farewell performance as Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise is ready to revisit some of his other beloved roles. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 18 May 2025 There was a lot of gratitude expressed at the San Jose Museum of Art on Wednesday at a farewell reception for S. Sayre Batton, the downtown institution’s outgoing executive director. Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 10 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for farewell

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

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

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Cite this Entry

“Farewell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/farewell. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

farewell

1 of 3 imperative verb
fare·​well fa(ə)r-ˈwel How to pronounce farewell (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on farewell

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