Dictionary
Thesaurus
Medical
Scrabble®
Spanish Central
Browse DictionaryBrowse Thesaurus
Get our free apps!iPhone•iPad•Android
Games
Word of the Day
Video
Blog: Words at Play
My Faves
Dictionary

valediction

noun val·e·dic·tion \ˌva-lə-ˈdik-shən\

Definition of VALEDICTION

1
:  an act of bidding farewell
2
:  valedictory 1
See valediction defined for English-language learners
ADVERTISEMENT

Origin of VALEDICTION

Latin valedicere to say farewell, from vale farewell + dicere to say — more at diction
First Known Use: 1613

Rhymes with VALEDICTION

benediction, contradiction, crucifixion, dereliction, interdiction, jurisdiction, malediction, metafiction, science fiction

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: valedictorianPrevious Word in the Dictionary: valeAll Words Near: valediction
ADVERTISEMENT
10 Charming Words for Nasty People
Put-downs with flair
Learn More
When "Literally" isn't, well, literal
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Watch Now
Know what this is?
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Go Play
Fear of cats?
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears
Learn More
Join Us
Merriam-Webster
on Facebook
Merriam-Webster
on Twitter
Bookstore: Digital and Print
Merriam-Webster references for Mobile, Kindle, print, and more.
See All
Other Merriam-Webster Dictionaries