valedictory

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The Word of the Day for May 5 is:

valedictory   \val-uh-DIK-tuh-ree\   adjective
     : of or relating to a valediction : expressing or containing a farewell

Example sentence: 
     June used her valedictory address to emphasize the importance of 
volunteering and community service.

Did you know?
     Valedictory addresses delivered by earnest young valedictorians at high 
school and college graduations are as much a sign of spring in the United 
States as baseball games and cookouts. Though we don't know where the first 
valedictory address was given, we do know that the word was an institution at 
some colleges in the U.S. by the mid-1700s. English speakers and writers have 
also used "valedictory" in non-academic settings since the mid-1600s. Since a 
valedictory speech is given at the end of an academic career, it is perfectly 
in keeping with the meaning of its Latin ancestor, "valedicere," which means 
"to say farewell."





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