valedictory
/ˌvæləˈdɪktəɹi/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.17 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
5
Syllables
11
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Of or pertaining to a valediction (“an act of parting company; a speech made when parting company”); designed for or suitable to an occasion of bidding farewell or parting company.
adj
Of or pertaining to a valedictorian (“the individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell address, often the person who graduates with the highest grades”).
Canadian usage; American usage
noun
A speech given by a valedictorian at a commencement or graduation ceremony.
Canadian usage; American usage
Example Sentences
- "a valedictory oration"
- "Supp'd at Mr. Edwᵈ Sheldon's, where was Mr. [John] Dryden the Poet, who now intended to write no more Plays, being intent on his Translation of Virgil. He read to us his Prologue and Epilogue to his valedictory Play, now shortly to be acted."
- "While delivering these valedictory observations, Wegg continually disappointed Mr. Boffin of his hand by flourishing it in the air."
- "It was illustrated on page 617 of our October issue and the class as a whole was the subject of a valedictory article in our August, 1959 issue."
- "When Fyodor had come up to Izzy six months ago, it had been understood as a valedictory mission before getting shunted to an administrator's job at Roskosmos."
- "Barcelona have had a habit of collapsing like a poorly constructed millefeuille in away legs over the past four years. But still, as Jordan Henderson hurled himself about in midfield like a labrador puppy chasing flies, as [Sadio] Mané pressed with sniping menace on the left, there was something valedictory in the air."
Etymology
From Latin valedictum + English -ory (suffix forming nouns meaning ‘that which pertains to’, or adjectives meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). Valedictum is the accusative supine of valedīcō (“to bid farewell; to give a valediction”), from valē (“farewell, goodbye”) (the imperative of valeō (“to be healthy or well; to be strong; to have influence or power”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- (“powerful, strong; to rule”)) + dīcō (“to say, speak”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to point out”)). By surface analysis, valedict + -ory.
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *h₂welh₁-, valedictum, *deyḱ-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌvæləˈdɪktəɹi/
- British English: /ˌvælɪˈdɪktəɹi/