valediction

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the act of saying farewell, or the words used when parting

   Her brief valediction thanked the staff and wished the new director well.

2. 2
   noun

   a formal farewell address or speech

   The retiring judge delivered a valediction from the bench.

Borrowed in the early seventeenth century from New Latin valedictio, 'a bidding farewell,' built from Latin vale, 'farewell' or literally 'be well,' and dicere, 'to say,' plus the action-noun suffix -tion.

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