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valedictory (adj.)
1650s, "pertaining or relating to leave-taking," from Latin valedictum (past participle of valedicere; see valediction) + -ory. As a noun meaning "valedictory address" from 1779.
Entries linking to valedictory
valediction (n.)"a farewell, a bidding farewell," 1610s, from past participle stem of Latin valedicere "bid farewell, take leave," from vale "farewell!," second person singular imperative of valere "be well, be strong" (from PIE root *wal- "to be strong") + dicere "to say" (from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly").
-ory adjective and noun suffix, "having to do with, characterized by, tending to, place for," from Middle English -orie, from Old North French -ory, -orie (Old French -oir, -oire), from Latin -orius, -oria, -orium.
Latin adjectives in -orius, according to "An Etymological Dictionary of the French Language," tended to "indicate a quality proper to the action accomplished by the agent; as oratorius from orator; laudatorius from laudator. The neuter of these adjectives was early employed as a substantive, and usually denoted the place of residence of the agent or the instrument that he uses; as praetorium from praetor; dormitorium from dormitor; auditorium, dolatorium.
"These newer words, already frequent under the Empire, became exceedingly numerous at a later time, especially in ecclesiastical and scholastic Latin; as purgatorium, refectorium, laboratorium, observatorium, &c." [transl. G.W. Kitchin, Oxford, 1878]
Latin adjectives in -orius, according to "An Etymological Dictionary of the French Language," tended to "indicate a quality proper to the action accomplished by the agent; as oratorius from orator; laudatorius from laudator. The neuter of these adjectives was early employed as a substantive, and usually denoted the place of residence of the agent or the instrument that he uses; as praetorium from praetor; dormitorium from dormitor; auditorium, dolatorium.
"These newer words, already frequent under the Empire, became exceedingly numerous at a later time, especially in ecclesiastical and scholastic Latin; as purgatorium, refectorium, laboratorium, observatorium, &c." [transl. G.W. Kitchin, Oxford, 1878]
valedictorian (n.)"student who pronounces the oration at commencement exercises of his or her class," 1832, American English, from valedictory + -ian. As an adjective from 1834.
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updated on March 07, 2014
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Definitions of valedictory from WordNet
1
valedictory (adj.)
of or relating to an occasion or expression of farewell;
a valedictory address
valedictory praise for his uniformly manly course
a suitable valedictory gesture
valedictory (adj.)
of a speech expressing leave-taking;
a valedictory address
2
valedictory (n.)
a farewell oration (especially one delivered during graduation exercises by an outstanding member of a graduating class);
From wordnet.princeton.edu, not affiliated with etymonline.
Dictionary entries near valedictory
vair
valance
vale
valediction
valedictorian
valedictory
valence
Valencia
Valentine
Valentino
valerian
