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
Synonyms of farewell
Relevance
Noun
Adjective
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
Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The Blue Bloods farewell, for instance, the thousandth episode of NCIS [special].
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Steve Megargee, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2026
The most exuberant farewell event—a dance party at the White House—took place on January 6th.
—Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
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
Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026
Expulsion procedures that cannot be outpaced by a farewell post on social media.
—Nick Weston, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for farewell
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
In preparation for the Alaskan wilderness, the Hoffmans and their crew shop for bear guns, bid their wives farewell, and are prayed over by a local pastor (who decides, at the last minute, to join them).
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The Blue Bloods farewell, for instance, the thousandth episode of NCIS [special].
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
The Packers announced the move and McManus posted a farewell to Green Bay on social media and thanked the organization, its fans and his teammates.
—Steve Megargee, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 2026
The most exuberant farewell event—a dance party at the White House—took place on January 6th.
—Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Verb
In preparation for the Alaskan wilderness, the Hoffmans and their crew shop for bear guns, bid their wives farewell, and are prayed over by a local pastor (who decides, at the last minute, to join them).
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
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
Adjective
The popular food truck closed for business in mid-March, but only recently shared the news in a farewell message posted on Instagram.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026
Expulsion procedures that cannot be outpaced by a farewell post on social media.
—Nick Weston, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for farewell
Cite this Entry
“Farewell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/farewell. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
