1
: a salutation at meeting
2
: an expression of good wishes : regards
—usually used in plural
holiday greetings
Examples of greeting in a Sentence
He addressed the members of the delegation with a formal greeting.
the volunteer directed the conference participants towards the coffee after offering them a cheerful greeting
Recent Examples on the Web
Recently, his mom dropped off Halloween candy for the kids, each bag inscribed with a greeting from Williams.
—
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023
Getting personal Texting has grown in importance since the first SMS, or short messaging service, greeting was sent by a 22-year-old engineer in 1992.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
But if a few flocks pass over without so much as a look, hit them with a greeting call.
—Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 8 Nov. 2023
But the only screaming today (besides from the audience during the drag show) comes from a family on a passing boat, whose children recognize Miss Toto and call out happy greetings.
—Brian Owens, Scientific American, 18 Oct. 2023
Both you who are here and all of you who have sent greetings and gifts.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 17 Oct. 2023
Thankfully, Kweli was just shaken up, and his toe only lightly nipped, but Matilda’s overzealous greeting wasn’t an ideal start to what was supposed to be a relaxing getaway.
—Anja Mutic, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2023
The standard format is to start with a greeting — a hello, hi or good morning/afternoon plus their name — followed by a few separate paragraphs and a sign off, such as thank you, then a comma followed by your name.
—Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
Every flower seems to require an individual greeting from me.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
See More
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023
Getting personal Texting has grown in importance since the first SMS, or short messaging service, greeting was sent by a 22-year-old engineer in 1992.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
But if a few flocks pass over without so much as a look, hit them with a greeting call.
—Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 8 Nov. 2023
But the only screaming today (besides from the audience during the drag show) comes from a family on a passing boat, whose children recognize Miss Toto and call out happy greetings.
—Brian Owens, Scientific American, 18 Oct. 2023
Both you who are here and all of you who have sent greetings and gifts.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 17 Oct. 2023
Thankfully, Kweli was just shaken up, and his toe only lightly nipped, but Matilda’s overzealous greeting wasn’t an ideal start to what was supposed to be a relaxing getaway.
—Anja Mutic, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2023
The standard format is to start with a greeting — a hello, hi or good morning/afternoon plus their name — followed by a few separate paragraphs and a sign off, such as thank you, then a comma followed by your name.
—Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
Every flower seems to require an individual greeting from me.
—Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'greeting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of greeting was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing greeting
Articles Related to greeting
Dictionary Entries Near greeting
Cite this Entry
“Greeting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greeting. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
greeting
noun
greet·ing
1
2
: an expression of good wishes : regards
—usually used in plural
More from Merriam-Webster on greeting
Nglish: Translation of greeting for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of greeting for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share