salute

1 of 2

verb

sa·​lute sə-ˈlüt 

saluted; saluting

transitive verb

1

a

: to address with expressions of kind wishes, courtesy, or honor

b

: to give a sign of respect, courtesy, or goodwill to : greet

2

: to become apparent to (one of the senses)

3

a

: to honor (a person, a nation, an event, etc.) by a conventional military or naval ceremony

b

: to show respect and recognition to (a military superior) by assuming a prescribed position

c

: to express commendation of : praise

intransitive verb

: to make a salute

saluter noun

salute

2 of 2

noun

1

: greeting, salutation

2

a

: a sign, token, or ceremony expressing goodwill, compliment, or respect

the festival was a salute to the arts

b

: the position (as of the hand) or the entire attitude of a person saluting a superior

3

: firecracker

Synonyms

Verb

• applaud
• praise
• hail

Noun

• salutation
• greeting
• welcome

Examples of salute in a Sentence

Verb

We salute our country's soldiers.

The players saluted the fans.

The president saluted her bravery.

Noun

The officers gave the general a salute.

They raised their hands in salute.

The concert was a salute to country music legends.

Twenty-one guns were fired in salute.

We raise our glasses in salute to the newlyweds.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The bagpipes began to play a few moments later and the crowd of officers saluted as the casket, draped in a Chicago flag, stood ready to be loaded into a waiting hearse. —Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025

And there stood our president, saluting, All this in front of a crowd of far less than the 200,000 predicted by the administration while, at the same time, 5,000,000 or more Americans all over this great land were showing the vision, commitment, and willingness to get their point across: No Kings. —Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

Noun

Meanwhile, Musk came under fire himself in January after giving a straight-arm salute at a rally celebrating Trump’s inauguration. —Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 July 2025

Once at Windsor, King Charles and Queen Camilla will formally welcome the couple at the Royal Dais, on Datchet Road, as a royal salute is fired in the Home Park in Windsor and at the Tower of London. —Isaac Bickerstaff, Glamour, 8 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Latin salutare, from salut-, salus health, safety, greeting, from salvus safe, healthy — more at safe

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for salute

• acute
• aleut
• astute
• beetroot
• breadfruit
• cheroot
• commute
• compute
• confute
• dilute
• dispute
• elute

Kids Definition

salute

1 of 2 verb

sa·​lute sə-ˈlüt 

saluted; saluting

1

: to greet with courteous words or a bow

2

a

: to honor by a standard military ceremony

b

: to show respect to by taking the proper position

salute an officer

saluter noun

salute

2 of 2 noun

1

: salutation sense 1, greeting

2

a

: a sign or ceremony of goodwill, compliment, or respect

b

: the position taken by a person saluting a military officer