welcome

verb wel·come \ ˈwel-kəm \

Definition of welcome

welcomed; welcoming

transitive verb

1 :to greet hospitably and with courtesy or cordiality

2 :to accept with pleasure the occurrence or presence of

welcomes danger

—

welcomer

noun

See welcome defined for English-language learners

Examples of welcome in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of welcome from the Web

From Forest Hills School District: Following approval from the Forest Hills Board of Education during their Aug. 28 meeting, the district welcomed Josh Slonim as the new Turpin High School varsity basketball coach.

— cincinnati enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Slonim takes over Turpin basketball program," 30 Aug. 2017
Idaho has always been a welcoming land for Basques.

— cynthia sewell, idahostatesman, "Now is your chance to pay your respects to Idaho’s longest-serving governor," 30 Aug. 2017
At this point, the Phillies will welcome whatever healthy arm can last more than five innings.

— matt gelb, Philly.com, "Braves sweep Phillies in tedious doubleheader," 30 Aug. 2017
Yet though there are a few weeks until the show returns, actress Vanessa Morgan has already been welcomed by the Riverdale fandom — but not necessarily in the warmest ways.

— gabe bergado, Teen Vogue, "New "Riverdale" Actress Says She Has Received Death Threats from Bughead Fans," 29 Aug. 2017
Women must be good housewives, caring for their husband and children, welcoming guests, and looking out for orphans.

— Longreads, "America’s First Addiction Epidemic," 29 Aug. 2017
Klinstiver said the commissioners welcome community participation in planning the project.

— sheldon s. shafer, The Courier-Journal, "Scrapped plans for Louisville aquarium resurface in Southern Indiana county," 26 Aug. 2017
The Nitros welcome back linebacker Chris Ibarra, an All-Area honoree who tallied 50 tackles and eight sacks.

— grant gordon, Glendale News-Press, "Weekly Football Previews: Crescenta Valley kicks off 2017 area football season in Florida," 23 Aug. 2017
Welcome to Reputation (out November 10)—a clear nod to the fact that Taylor's own public image took a nosedive in 2016 and early 2017.

— mehera bonner, Marie Claire, "Taylor Swift Just Dropped Her Album Release Date, Name, *And* Cover Art," 23 Aug. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of welcome

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

welcome Synonyms

Synonyms

drink (in), eat (up), embrace, lap (up)

Related Words

adopt, espouse, take up; greet, hail; enjoy, like, prefer; cherry-pick, choose, cull, decide (on), elect, handpick, name, opt (for), pick, select, single (out), take

Near Antonyms

balk (at), decline, pass up, refuse, reject, spurn, throw over, turn down; demur (to), object (to)

welcome

interjection

Definition of welcome

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

See welcome defined for English-language learners

See welcome defined for kids

Recent Examples of welcome from the Web

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

Origin and Etymology of welcome

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 12th century

See Words from the same year

welcome

adjective

Definition of welcome

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

—

welcomely

adverb

—

welcomeness

noun

See welcome defined for English-language learners

Examples of welcome in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of welcome from the Web

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

First Known Use of welcome

12th century

welcome Synonyms

Synonyms

agreeable, blessed (also blest), congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, good, grateful, gratifying, heavenly, jolly, luscious, nice, palatable, pleasing, pleasurable, pretty, satisfying, savory (also savoury), sweet, tasty, pleasant

Antonyms

disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome

Near Antonyms

abominable, ghastly, god-awful, hellish, horrid, miserable, wretched; bilious, disgusting, distasteful, obnoxious, offensive, repellent (also repellant), repugnant, repulsive, revulsive, unsavory, vile, yucky (also yukky); abhorrent, detestable, hateful, odious; boring, commonplace, dull, flat, insipid, irksome, stale, tedious; displeasing, dissatisfying; depressing, disheartening, dismal, dreary, gloomy, heartbreaking, heartrending, joyless, lachrymose, sad, unhappy; deplorable, doleful, dolorous, lamentable, lugubrious, mournful, regrettable, sorrowful, tragic (also tragical); aggravating, annoying, exasperating, irritating, peeving, perturbing, vexing; forbidding; hostile, intimidating; angering, enraging, incensing, inflaming (also enflaming), infuriating, maddening, outraging, rankling, riling; distressing, disturbing, upsetting

welcome

noun

Definition of welcome

1 :a greeting or reception usually upon arrival

a warm welcome

2 :the state of being welcome

overstayed their welcome

See welcome defined for English-language learners

Examples of welcome in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of welcome from the Web

People undergoing any kind of cancer treatment are welcome to attend, as are survivors up to five years out of treatment.

— natalie jacewicz, Kaiser Health News, "Writing Your Way Through Cancer," 25 Aug. 2017
Please give a warm Eagles-family welcome to Deacon Frey.

— deroy murdock, National Review, "The New Kid in Town," 1 Aug. 2017
This is an approach the Kremlin recognises and welcomes.

— The Economist, "Spiritual kinDonald Trump’s G20 speech owed a lot to Putin," 13 July 2017
Hello and welcome to the third (!) installment of New Music Fridays, our super-rad series in partnership with Apple Music.

— kaleigh fasanella, Teen Vogue, "Best New Songs This Week: Apple Music’s New Music Fridays," 23 June 2017
Preregistration encouraged, drop-ins welcome as space allows.

— The Courier-Journal, "10 home and garden events June 24 and beyond," 21 June 2017
Which means it’s probably (possibly?) Euron getting the hero’s welcome here on the streets of Westerosi capital.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones: 6 Juicy Details You Might Have Missed in the Latest Trailer," 21 June 2017
Trump also received a warm welcome in Saudi Arabia, a potentially key player for Trump's goal of pursuing a region-wide deal.

— josef federman, Jewish Journal, "Mission impossible? Kushner seeks to revive Mideast talks," 21 June 2017
Ann Beattie’s The Accomplished Guest (Scribner) never overstays her welcome.

— vanityfair.com, "What to Read Right Now: Brian Platzer’s Bed-Stuy Is Burning, Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, and More Books of the Summer," 13 June 2017

First Known Use of welcome

1525

welcome Synonyms

Synonyms

greeting, salutation, salute, hello

Antonyms

adieu, bon voyage, congé (also congee), farewell, Godspeed, good-bye (or good-by)

Related Words

ave, hail; amenities, civilities, pleasantries; regards, respects, wishes

WELCOME Defined for English Language Learners

welcome

verb

Definition of welcome for English Language Learners

: to greet (someone) in a warm and friendly manner
: to receive or accept (something) with happiness or pleasure

welcome

interjection

Definition of welcome for English Language Learners

—used as a friendly greeting to someone who has arrived at a place

welcome

adjective

Definition of welcome for English Language Learners

: giving someone happiness or pleasure
—used to say that you are happy to have someone come to and stay in a place (such as your home)

welcome

noun

Definition of welcome for English Language Learners

: the way in which someone is greeted

WELCOME Defined for Kids

welcome

verb wel·come \ ˈwel-kəm \

Definition of welcome for Students

welcomed; welcoming

1 :to greet with friendship or courtesy

2 :to receive or accept with pleasure

We welcomed the opportunity to travel.

welcome

adjective

Definition of welcome for Students

1 :greeted or received gladly

a welcome rain

Visitors are welcome.

2 :giving pleasure :pleasing

a welcome sight

3 :willingly permitted to do, have, or enjoy something

You're welcome to come along.

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

History for welcome

A welcome guest is someone whom you want to visit you. Appropriately, the word welcome goes back to an Old English word wilcuma that meant “desirable guest.” Wilcuma is a compound word formed from Old English willa, “desire, desirable thing,” and -cuma, a derivative of cuman, “to come.” (Willa and cuman are ancestors of modern English will and come.)

welcome

noun

Definition of welcome for Students

:a friendly greeting

Learn More about welcome

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for welcome Spanish Central: Translation of welcome Nglish: Translation of welcome for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of welcome for Arabic speakers

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welcome

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welcome

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welcomely

welcomeness

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welcome

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Synonyms

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WELCOME Defined for English Language Learners

welcome

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welcome

Definition of welcome for English Language Learners

welcome

Definition of welcome for English Language Learners

welcome

Definition of welcome for English Language Learners

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