Valediction
[val-ih-DIK-shən]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, mid-17th century
1.
The action of saying farewell.
2.
A statement or address made at or as a farewell.
Examples of Valediction in a sentence
"Make sure to give your mother a valediction before you leave for the weekend."
"I always struggle with choosing an appropriate valediction for emails to my boss."
About Valediction
Valedict- serves as the root for several related words. There's "valediction" ("the act of saying farewell"), "valedictorian" ("the student chosen to deliver a farewell address at a commencement ceremony"), and "valedictory," which is both the noun for a farewell speech and an adjective describing something of a farewell nature.
Did you Know?
If you're a regular at Christian church services, you likely recognize "benediction" as the blessing given at the end of the service. "Valediction" has a similar Latin etymology. "Bene" in Latin is "to wish well or bless." "Vale" is "goodbye," and "dicere" is "to say" in Latin. A benediction and a valediction — depending on the context — are both appropriate ways to say goodbye.
