welcome

verb

wel·come | \ ˈwel-kəm

welcomed; welcoming

Definition of welcome

(Entry 1 of 4)

transitive verb

1 : to greet hospitably and with courtesy or cordiality

2 : to accept with pleasure the occurrence or presence of welcomes danger

welcome

interjection

Definition of welcome (Entry 2 of 4)

—used to express a greeting to a guest or newcomer upon arrival

welcome

adjective

Definition of welcome (Entry 3 of 4)

1 : received gladly into one's presence or companionship was always welcome in their home

2 : giving pleasure : received with gladness or delight especially in response to a need a welcome relief

3 : willingly permitted or admitted he was welcome to come and go— W. M. Thackeray

4 —used in the phrase "You're welcome" as a reply to an expression of thanks

welcome

noun

Definition of welcome (Entry 4 of 4)

1 : a greeting or reception usually upon arrival a warm welcome

2 : the state of being welcome overstayed their welcome

Other Words from welcome Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about welcome

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Examples of welcome in a Sentence

Verb

She welcomed the students into her home. We welcome you to the show. He's a bright student who welcomes a challenge.

Adjective

That will be a welcome change. He was a welcome sight.

Noun

He was given a hero's welcome when he returned home after winning the race. offered a warm welcome to the stranger

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The program also welcomes nonathletes and even adults, because the universal lessons of mindfulness, focus and resilience apply to everyone. — René A. Guzman, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio service trains youth athletes to cope with game stress," 13 June 2019 AP Zak Williams, the oldest son of Robin Williams, has welcomed his first child. — Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, "Robin Williams' son Zak welcomes first baby, pays homage to late father," 13 June 2019 Maria Crespo-Lind, who manages the church with her husband, welcomed the newcomers in Spanish and directed them to 14 folding tables stationed in the center of a gym. — Ruben Vives, latimes.com, "A California desert town sees surge in migrants as border crisis worsens," 12 June 2019 Every year, Firestone Walker welcomes hundreds of national and international brewery founders and staffers for a weekend of water park fun, beer shares, wine tasting and communal dinners, all in addition to the Saturday festival itself. — Alyssa Pereira, SFChronicle.com, "Chuck the wine. Paso Robles is a beer town now," 12 June 2019 The AHS Board welcomes the opportunity to partner with the county to find creative solutions to shore up the fiscal foundation for AHS. — Joe Devries, The Mercury News, "Opinion: Why Alameda Health System needs more funding," 12 June 2019 Environmental groups welcomed the announcement but raised concerns about how, exactly, Britain plans to meet these targets. — Karla Adam, BostonGlobe.com, "May pledges to pass law to eliminate UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2050," 12 June 2019 After welcoming a new baby boy with wife Meghan Markle just over two weeks ago, His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex surprised a posh crowd of polo patrons who had gathered in Rome over the holiday weekend by hitting the field himself. — Zachary Weiss, Vogue, "When in Rome! Prince Harry Hits the Polo Field with St. Regis to Benefit Sentebale," 29 May 2019 Getty Images Since welcoming their first child, Archie Harrison, earlier this month, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly fully settled into life at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Prefer the "Energy" at Frogmore Cottage Over Kensington Palace," 26 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Interjection

Welcome, Baskets and Better Things and One Mississippi and now The Cops [all from C.K.'s production company] and more to come. — Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, "FX Chief John Landgraf Talks 'Peak TV,' 'Louie' Future and Netflix: It's "Shoveling Money"," 25 May 2017 Her presence in the race adds new dimensions to the conversation, and that’s welcome. — Pioneer Press Editorial Board, Twin Cities, "Conversing with St. Paul mayoral candidates: Elizabeth Dickinson," 22 Mar. 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

TODAY’S DAILY DIGIT A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10. 10/10: Rinse and repeat of sunny and dry are even more welcome with a few gray days ahead! — Brian Jackson, Washington Post, "D.C.-area forecast: Bright and cheery today; turning gray and gloomy tomorrow," 27 Aug. 2017 On tour, though, care of Lövik often falls to Irina, which can be a welcome distraction for her during Sascha’s matches. — Longreads, "Family Band," 22 Aug. 2017 Cars like the Elantra, then, are a welcome respite for those of us who actually like to drive, who like the feeling of controlling the machine. — Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics, "The Manual Car Is About More Than Shifting Gears," 19 Aug. 2017 The couple made a welcome toast, thanking their guests for sharing in the weekend– — Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Exclusive: Erin Andrews and Jarret Stoll's Mountain-Top Wedding in Montana," 16 Aug. 2017 Conductor Lisa LeMay’s 17-strong orchestra handles the various musical flavors well, and there’s lots of drama and surprise to the lighting design by David Cuthbert, a welcome San Diego returnee. — James Hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego Rep revival lends heart to tuneful but cynical 'Evita'," 10 Aug. 2017 In this salad, the saltiness of the cod and the tang of the cheese bring a welcome punch. — Daniel Boulud, ELLE Decor, "3 Timeless French Recipes From France's Most Admired Chefs," 9 Aug. 2017 After the welcome bubbles, guests will learn the art of creating the perfect champagne cocktail(s) with the property's resident bartender. — Micaela English, Town & Country, "This Charming Maine Inn Has An Entire Weekend Dedicated To Champagne," 7 Aug. 2017 Residents who would like to host a gathering are also welcome to do so since several areas do not have a block captain. — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "National Night Out events planned for Tuesday," 27 July 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Twenty-four goats brought to devour weeds in Manhattan’s Riverside Park got a rousing welcome, with an explosion of applause, selfies and b-a-a-a-a-d puns. — Leslie Brody, WSJ, "Herd on the Street: Goats Arrive With Fanfare at New York City Park," 21 May 2019 Quirky shopping, gorgeous beaches, and great food await, as well a warm welcome from P-Town locals and regulars. — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, "3 Best Day Trips From Boston," 9 Aug. 2018 Ellis Island has a remarkable museum depicting America’s welcome to the many thousands arriving for a better life. — Alf Dubs, Time, "I Fled the Nazis as a Child Refugee. Trump's Border Policy Echoes Europe's Darkest Days," 21 June 2018 Everyone’s welcome: self-driving cars, cyclists, skateboarders, pedestrians. — Alex Davies, WIRED, "Lots of Lobbies and Zero Zombies: How Self-Driving Cars Will Reshape Cities," 21 May 2018 Golden welcome: Two dozen inspectors from around the country spent the week hanging off the Golden Gate Bridge for a close-up look at how the 81-year-old icon was faring. — Matier & Ross, San Francisco Chronicle, "There’s a new idea on how to honor late SF Mayor Ed Lee. It’s at SFO," 6 May 2018 Moss burned brightest but wore out his welcome in Minnesota after seven seasons. — Chris Chase, For The Win, "From Deion Sanders to Donovan McNabb: Best first-round draft picks for each NFC team," 7 Mar. 2018 On the day when Daylight Savings Time ended, a Dark Knight overstayed his welcome. — John Walters, Newsweek, "Let's Goat Mets! New York Loses the World Series," 2 Nov. 2015 But extreme cases aside, the Tooth Fairy may be a fairy tale that has outlived its welcome in some houses. — Charlotte Hilton Andersen, Redbook, "The Great Mom Debate: How Generous is the Tooth Fairy at Your House?," 5 Feb. 2012

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

First Known Use of welcome

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Interjection

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for welcome

Verb

Middle English, from Old English welcumian, wylcumian, from wilcuma, noun

Interjection

Middle English, alteration of wilcume, from Old English, from wilcuma desirable guest (akin to Old High German willicomo desirable guest); akin to Old English willa, will desire, cuman to come — more at will, come

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