salutation

noun sal·u·ta·tion \ ˌsal-yə-ˈtā-shən \

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Examples: salutation in a Sentence

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

play \ˌsal-yə-ˈtā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

See salutation defined for English-language learners

See salutation defined for kids

Examples of salutation in a Sentence

A handshake and saying “hello” are common salutations.
Shaking hands is a form of salutation.

Recent Examples of salutation from the Web

Teens should use these respectful salutations when asking for a letter of recommendation, when thanking someone for an interview, or when communicating with a professor, teacher or adviser.

— jennifer winward, Anchorage Daily News, "Five old-school skills that kids should learn from their grandparents instead of YouTube," 26 June 2018
Celebrate the sun and stretch your yoga practice with 108 sun salutations on the Anchorage Museum lawn.

— yoshina okamoto, Anchorage Daily News, "Celebrating summer solstice: Here are parties and events around Alaska," 21 June 2018
BOSTON COMMON Free Summer Yoga Unfurl your yoga mat near the Frog Pond for some sun salutations in the park.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Summer guide: Things to do around Boston and Cambridge," 2 June 2018
Every morning, do a sun salutation (video at https://bit.ly/2rH9m8t) to promote flexibility and balance.

— Houston Chronicle, "10 steps to protect your heart, brain and body from disease and premature aging," 20 May 2018
In the near future, people will probably just use the technology for the things Google demonstrated onstage: Filling in addresses and quick salutations.

— madeline buxton, refinery29.com, "Gmail Is Going To Help Us Write Our Emails — Is That A Good Thing?," 11 May 2018
Family Yoga in the Park, 10 a.m. Sunday, Holliday Park, 6363 Spring Mill Road, hollidaypark.org Be one with nature through some sun salutations at the Nature Center at Holliday Park.

— susie schmank, Indianapolis Star, "14 best things to do to celebrate Earth Day 2018," 18 Apr. 2018
Morgan Park Sports Center's Yoga & Fitness Studio co-hosts a brief lesson on essential oils and cultivating natural products through discussion, meditation and a yoga session focused on earth salutations.

— jessi virtusio, Daily Southtown, "Southland offers variety of activities, events to honor Earth Day," 5 Apr. 2018
The personalized salutation, the handwriting quirks, and the inside jokes sprinkled throughout offer a glimpse at an interior world only the recipient is meant to see.

— tori latham, The Atlantic, "The Epistolary Heart of An American Marriage," 7 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'salutation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of salutation

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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salutation Synonyms

SALUTATION Defined for English Language Learners

salutation

noun

: a word or phrase (such as “Gentlemen,” “Dear Sir,” “Dear Madam,” or “To whom it may concern”) that is used to begin a letter
: the act of greeting someone