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
John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 27 Feb. 2026
Tokyo — Japanese fans rushed to farewell the country’s last two pandas on Sunday ahead of their return to China, in a departure that highlights strained relations between the two countries.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
Fadwa Hodali, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
The farewell to Late Night host Stephen Colbert was in full swing Thursday, as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon dropped by to serenade his friend and fellow talk-show personality.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Mar. 2026
John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 27 Feb. 2026
Tokyo — Japanese fans rushed to farewell the country’s last two pandas on Sunday ahead of their return to China, in a departure that highlights strained relations between the two countries.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
This farewell season marks the culmination of a franchise that entertained millions with major life milestones, laugh-out-loud chaos, and the unfiltered chemistry that defined an era of reality television.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for farewell
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Imperative verb
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
Tokyo — Japanese fans rushed to farewell the country’s last two pandas on Sunday ahead of their return to China, in a departure that highlights strained relations between the two countries.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
Noun
Family and friends lined up to bid farewell to the trio, who were killed earlier in the day, in what was described by local officials and residents as a coordinated and sustained assault, and by the Israeli military as unacceptable.
—Fadwa Hodali, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
The farewell to Late Night host Stephen Colbert was in full swing Thursday, as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon dropped by to serenade his friend and fellow talk-show personality.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
Tokyo — Japanese fans rushed to farewell the country’s last two pandas on Sunday ahead of their return to China, in a departure that highlights strained relations between the two countries.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Fortunately, its farewell tour includes two shows here in La Jolla at The Jai, where the group’s co-founders — bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King — will be joined by pianist Craig Taborn and sax dynamo Chris Potter.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
This farewell season marks the culmination of a franchise that entertained millions with major life milestones, laugh-out-loud chaos, and the unfiltered chemistry that defined an era of reality television.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 4 Mar. 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 Mar. 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
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