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

Cheryl, the leader of this unhappy welcoming committee, fishes a sympathy card out of her purse. — Claire Galofaro, The Seattle Times, "Moms of the dead from drugs: “Where is the outrage for us?”," 29 Jan. 2019 With the government open (for three weeks, at least), parks from Glacier Bay in Alaska to Florida's Everglades are officially welcoming visitors again and getting staff back to their crucial duties of safety, upkeep and guidance. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "For National Parks, The End of the Shutdown Means the Hard Part Begins," 28 Jan. 2019 Although travelers would welcome any reprieve from rising airfares, investors worry airlines are losing pricing power as more seats remain on the market, which could cut into profits. — Alison Sider, WSJ, "American Airlines’ Profit Warning Sends Carrier Shares Lower," 10 Jan. 2019 To welcome her and Murray here is, to me, one of the deep pleasures of middle age. — Kyre Chenven, Condé Nast Traveler, "For Sardinia’s Wild Side, Head to Sulcis," 12 Oct. 2018 Cardi B and Offset welcomed their first child into the world on Tuesday, July 10. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Cardi B Has Given Birth To A Baby Girl & You Have To See The Name," 11 July 2018 Along with moving to a new house in Windsor with Prince Harry, welcoming her first baby in the spring, and fending off annoying rumors in the press, the Duchess of Sussex has four official new royal patronages to add to her workload. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Meghan Markle's Royal Patronages Have Been Announced, and Two Come From the Queen Herself," 10 Jan. 2019 The two married in May 2005 and welcomed their son Henry into the world the same year. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Heidi Klum's Net Worth Is Mind-Bogglingly Huge," 7 Jan. 2019 This will be the family home as two become three in 2019, welcoming a new baby. — Juliet Rieden, Town & Country, "How Queen Elizabeth Will Pass the Torch to Prince Charles and the Rest of the Royal Family in 2019," 5 Jan. 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

As a library lover, this is a welcome and convenient feature for me. — Valentina Palladino, Ars Technica, "Kobo Forma review: A formidable opponent for Amazon’s Kindle Oasis," 22 Nov. 2018 With the year's royal weddings showcasing all things classic, Moore's bridal gown is a welcome, fashion-forward change to the super-traditional mix of this year's celebrity wedding gowns. — Carrie Goldberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Mandy Moore Got Married in The Most Stunning Pink Wedding Look," 19 Nov. 2018 This dinner-only gesture is a fine welcome and another reason to order a beer. — Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "Review: Polka serves some of metro Detroit's best Polish food, in Troy," 25 Apr. 2018 Another head coach gets replaced—welcome, Adam Gase—and another rookie is heralded as the face of the franchise. — Gerald Eskenazi, WSJ, "The Fatalism of a True Football Fan," 10 Jan. 2019 Yes, someone might disappear from your life in a ghost-like fashion, but ghosts are known for haunting, for sticking around past their welcome. — Brittney Mcnamara, Teen Vogue, ""Orbiting" Is the New Breakup Habit That's Worse Than Ghosting," 11 Dec. 2018 Some unexpected visitors have overstayed their welcome at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: rats. — Janine Puhak, Fox News, "SeaTac Airport battling rat infestation," 7 Sep. 2018 The result is a sugary sweet action film that exceeds two hours yet never overstays its welcome. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Mission: Impossible – Fallout review: Fall into Cruise’s best in years," 27 July 2018 Their welcome lost nothing by the delay which the fog had caused. — sandiegouniontribune.com, "June 11, 1935: San Diego welcomes U.S. Fleet," 11 June 2018

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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