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

Prince William is weeks away from becoming a proud uncle as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing to welcome their first child together. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Could Prince William Miss the Birth of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Baby?," 27 Mar. 2019 Advertising The day was punctuated by more news that Trump was likely to welcome: As Trump’s meetings with Netanyahu were winding down, word surfaced that Avenatti had been arrested. — Catherine Lucey, The Seattle Times, "Victory lap and accolades: Trump has, perhaps, best day ever," 26 Mar. 2019 Martha's 'secondary residence'—tells an urban story, centered around a whimsical use of color and texture that feels glamorous yet welcoming. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "You Can Now Live Like Martha Stewart With Her New Lifestyle Lines," 21 Mar. 2019 Delighted to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to @LeightonCAB this morning. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Princess Anne Supported Her Brother at the 50th Anniversary of Prince Charles's Investiture Today," 5 Mar. 2019 John made history as the coach to receive the most blocks ever (what a way to welcome the new guy, huh?). — Megan Stein, Country Living, "All of 'The Voice' Contestants Who Have Survived the Blind Auditions So Far," 2 Mar. 2019 With smartphone display bezels all but disappearing over the past couple of years, the space for good speakers has grown ever more scant, so any new technology that squeezes out even slightly better performance is to be welcomed. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "Dirac Bass will trick you into perceiving deeper bass from your phone’s speakers," 18 Dec. 2018 This is Middleton's first red carpet since welcoming her first child with husband James Matthews in October. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Pippa Middleton Stuns in Colorful Temperley London Gown for Night Out," 27 Feb. 2019 Once Stormi was welcomed into the world, Jordyn remained by Kylie's side. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Everything You Need to Know About Kylie Jenner and Jordyn Woods' Friendship," 21 Feb. 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

Among those who gave them a warm welcome were the official accounts for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Queen and other royals, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla, the Duke of York, and Princess Eugenie. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Prince William, Kate Middleton, and More Royals Welcome Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to Instagram," 2 Apr. 2019 Brennan Scarlett, Johnson Bademosi, Justin Reid and Peter Kalambayi — all Stanford alumni — wanted to give a proper welcome to a new member of the Cardinal family. — Jenny Dial Creech, San Francisco Chronicle, "Football players welcome young scholar to Stanford family," 1 June 2018 Last Monday was designated Rafael Payare Day as San Diego officials gave the conductor, currently leading Northern Ireland’s Ulster Orchestra, a warm welcome at a reception in the Jacobs Music Center. — Diane Bell, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Trump's ambassador to Germany is former San Diegan Ric Grenell," 4 May 2018 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has flattered Trump at golf games and over burgers, while Chinese President Xi Jinping gave him a welcome in Beijing that was fit for a king. — The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, "South Korea president says Trump should get Nobel Peace Prize," 30 Apr. 2018 Please give a warm welcome to our newest celebrity blogger, Siri Daly! — Siri Daly, PEOPLE.com, "Siri Daly's Blog: Stripping Away the Filters of Perfect Parenting on Social Media," 3 Apr. 2018 By Thursday, most of the 113 guests had arrived, and Kyle’s parents hosted a casual welcome party at their home. — Brooke Porter Katz, Harper's BAZAAR, "This Couple Took Over a Small Town in Italy for Their Medieval-Inspired Wedding," 28 Feb. 2019 After a winter that seemed to overextend its welcome and then weekends filled with rain, many around Baltimore would enjoy nothing more than taking in a hot day with a drink in hand. — Anna Muckerman, baltimoresun.com, "Three Maryland restaurants make OpenTable's best outdoor dining list," 20 June 2018 For her role as Allure's October cover star, Rihanna received a warm welcome from some of Fenty Beauty's biggest supporters. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Supporters of Fenty Beauty Wrote Thank You Letters to Rihanna," 17 Sep. 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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