"valedictorian" meaning in English

See valedictorian in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /væl.əd.ɪkˈtɔɹ.ɪən/ [UK], /væl.ə.dɪkˈtoɹ.i.ən/ [General-American], /væl.ə.dɪkˈtoɹ.i.ɪn/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-valedictorian.wav [Southern-England] Forms: valedictorians [plural]
Etymology: Formed 1759, from valediction (“speech made when leaving”). Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*h₂welh₁-|*deyḱ-|id=rule}}, {{m|en|valediction|gloss=speech made when leaving}} valediction (“speech made when leaving”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} valedictorian (plural valedictorians)
  1. (US, Canada, properly) The individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell or valedictory address, often the person who graduates with the highest grades. Tags: Canada, US Categories (topical): People Translations (farewell speech giver): orador [masculine] (Galician), Abschiedsredner [masculine] (German), búcsúbeszédet mondó végzős diák (Hungarian), orador (Portuguese), avskedstalare [common-gender] (Swedish), avslutningstalare [common-gender] (Swedish) Translations (no 1 student): ᏩᏌᎹᏗᏴ ᏧᏍᏆᏛᎢ (wasamadiyv tsusquadvi) (Cherokee), 狀元 (Chinese Mandarin), 状元 (zhuàngyuán) (Chinese Mandarin), klas eerste (Dutch), priimus (Finnish), major [masculine] (French), major de promotion [masculine] (French), o primeiro da clase [masculine] (Galician), Jahrgangsbester [masculine] (German), Jahrgangsprimus [masculine] (German), évfolyamelső (alt: [végzős] diák) (Hungarian), prymus [masculine] (Polish), prymuska [feminine] (Polish), toppstudent [common-gender] (Swedish), unang dangal (Tagalog)
    Sense id: en-valedictorian-en-noun-O4jUG-kl Disambiguation of People: 50 50 Categories (other): American English, Canadian English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 55 45 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 66 34 Disambiguation of 'farewell speech giver': 81 19 Disambiguation of 'no 1 student': 67 33
  2. (US, Canada, colloquial) The individual in a graduating class who graduates with the highest grades. Tags: Canada, US, colloquial Categories (topical): People Synonyms: dux
    Sense id: en-valedictorian-en-noun-7uW5cXVf Disambiguation of People: 50 50 Categories (other): American English, Canadian English
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: valediction, valedictory

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for valedictorian meaning in English (6.6kB)

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        "2": "valediction",
        "gloss": "speech made when leaving"
      },
      "expansion": "valediction (“speech made when leaving”)",
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    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Formed 1759, from valediction (“speech made when leaving”).",
  "forms": [
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      "form": "valedictorians",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "valedictorian (plural valedictorians)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "valediction"
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      "word": "valedictory"
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        {
          "text": "Coordinate term: salutatorian"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020 July 2, Arthur C. Brooks, “A College Degree Is No Guarantee of a Good Life”, in The Atlantic",
          "text": "Our oldest son was valedictorian of his high school class and went to a top university. But right about this time two years ago, our second son told us he wasn’t interested in college.",
          "type": "quotation"
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          "ref": "2021 June 11, Stephanie Saul, “Two Black Students Won School Honors. Then Came the Calls for a Recount.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
          "text": "At first, it seemed a joyous occasion. There was an audible gasp in the room, then boisterous cheering and applause when the announcement was made: Ikeria Washington and Layla Temple had been named 2021 valedictorian and salutatorian for West Point High School.",
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        "The individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell or valedictory address, often the person who graduates with the highest grades."
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      "id": "en-valedictorian-en-noun-O4jUG-kl",
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      "qualifier": "properly",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, Canada, properly) The individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell or valedictory address, often the person who graduates with the highest grades."
      ],
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        "Canada",
        "US"
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          "_dis1": "81 19",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "farewell speech giver",
          "tags": [
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        },
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          "_dis1": "81 19",
          "code": "de",
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          "_dis1": "81 19",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "farewell speech giver",
          "word": "búcsúbeszédet mondó végzős diák"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 19",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "farewell speech giver",
          "word": "orador"
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        {
          "_dis1": "81 19",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "farewell speech giver",
          "tags": [
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        },
        {
          "_dis1": "81 19",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "farewell speech giver",
          "tags": [
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        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "chr",
          "lang": "Cherokee",
          "roman": "wasamadiyv tsusquadvi",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
          "word": "ᏩᏌᎹᏗᏴ ᏧᏍᏆᏛᎢ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
          "word": "狀元"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "zhuàngyuán",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
          "word": "状元"
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        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
          "word": "klas eerste"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
          "word": "priimus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "major"
        },
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          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "major de promotion"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "o primeiro da clase"
        },
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          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
          "tags": [
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          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
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          "sense": "no 1 student",
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          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
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          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
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          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "no 1 student",
          "word": "unang dangal"
        }
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        "The individual in a graduating class who graduates with the highest grades."
      ],
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        "(US, Canada, colloquial) The individual in a graduating class who graduates with the highest grades."
      ],
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        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US",
        "colloquial"
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        "UK"
      ]
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      "ipa": "/væl.ə.dɪkˈtoɹ.i.ən/",
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  "word": "valedictorian"
}
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    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *deyḱ-",
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    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
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      "tags": [
        "plural"
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    }
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      "word": "valedictory"
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          "text": "Our oldest son was valedictorian of his high school class and went to a top university. But right about this time two years ago, our second son told us he wasn’t interested in college.",
          "type": "quotation"
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          "type": "quotation"
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        "The individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell or valedictory address, often the person who graduates with the highest grades."
      ],
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          "valedictory"
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        "(US, Canada, properly) The individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell or valedictory address, often the person who graduates with the highest grades."
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        "US"
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        "Canadian English",
        "English colloquialisms"
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      "glosses": [
        "The individual in a graduating class who graduates with the highest grades."
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        "(US, Canada, colloquial) The individual in a graduating class who graduates with the highest grades."
      ],
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      "tags": [
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        "US",
        "colloquial"
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      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "farewell speech giver",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "orador"
    },
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      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "farewell speech giver",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Abschiedsredner"
    },
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      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "farewell speech giver",
      "word": "búcsúbeszédet mondó végzős diák"
    },
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      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "farewell speech giver",
      "word": "orador"
    },
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      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "farewell speech giver",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
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    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "farewell speech giver",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "avslutningstalare"
    },
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      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "word": "ᏩᏌᎹᏗᏴ ᏧᏍᏆᏛᎢ"
    },
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      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "word": "狀元"
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      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zhuàngyuán",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "word": "状元"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "word": "klas eerste"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "word": "priimus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "major"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "major de promotion"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "o primeiro da clase"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Jahrgangsbester"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Jahrgangsprimus"
    },
    {
      "alt": "[végzős] diák",
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "word": "évfolyamelső"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "prymus"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "prymuska"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "toppstudent"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "no 1 student",
      "word": "unang dangal"
    }
  ],
  "word": "valedictorian"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-24 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (82c8ff9 and f4967a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.