salutation

noun

sal·​u·​ta·​tion ˌsal-yə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce salutation (audio)
1
a
: an expression of greeting, goodwill, or courtesy by word, gesture, or ceremony
b
salutations plural : regards
2
: the word or phrase of greeting (such as Gentlemen or Dear Sir or Madam) that conventionally comes immediately before the body of a letter
salutational adjective

Examples of salutation in a Sentence

A handshake and saying “hello” are common salutations. Shaking hands is a form of salutation.
Recent Examples on the Web If marveling at the northern lights between sun salutations sounds appealing, head to Arctic Hive, a retreat center in Alaska’s Brooks Range. Julia Eskins, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2024 Contact Data-Personal Data used to contact an individual, e.g., email address, physical address, phone number, or social media or communications platform username, as well as a name or other salutation. Washington Examiner, 13 Apr. 2023 Tailor the formality of your response to the original sender: Professional invitations, for instance, will require formal salutations and closings, while an email to a friend can be more casual and light-hearted. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2023 Perhaps mundane for many, these small-town visions were my summer salutation, a tip of the hat from Tamarack welcoming us to the good life. Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2023 In 2020, the proud mom shared a split-image post, showing her daughter attempting the sun salutation pose as a toddler and mastering the position several years later. Audrey Schmidt, Peoplemag, 20 Oct. 2023 Farther into the boulders and creosote is a perfectly round platform ready for sun salutations or stargazing. John Wogan Laura Bannister Tariro Mzezewa Elissa Suh Dana Covit Jameson Montgomery, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2023 American Greetings invented Care Bears in 1981 as characters proffering loving Christmas or birthday salutations on its cards. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2023 His text messages usually begin with a salutation to me, followed quickly by his younger daughter’s name. Will Stephenson, Harper's Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'salutation.' 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

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Dictionary Entries Near salutation

Cite this Entry

“Salutation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salutation. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

salutation

noun
sal·​u·​ta·​tion ˌsal-yə-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce salutation (audio)
1
: an expression of greeting, goodwill, or courtesy
2
: the word or phrase of greeting that begins a letter
salutational
-shnəl How to pronounce salutation (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on salutation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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