Word of the Day

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

Valediction

[val-ih-DIK-shən]Part of speech: 

: latin, mid-17th century

• The action of saying farewell.
• The word or phrase used to close out a letter before the signature.

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

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 the noun for that speech, or an adjective describing something of a farewell nature.

Did you Know?

If you’re a regular at church, you’ll know the benediction is 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. Benediction or valediction — depending on the context — are both appropriate ways to say goodbye.