an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting
"She raised her glass to offer a warm farewell as she left the office."
the act of departing politely
"he disliked long farewells"
"he took his leave"
"parting is such sweet sorrow"
A wish of happiness or safety at parting, especially a permanent departure
"She offered him a warm farewell as he boarded the plane to begin his new life abroad."
In plain English: A farewell is something you say when leaving someone for good, like saying goodbye forever to an old friend who has moved away or passed on.
"The captain raised his hat to give a final farewell before landing."
Usage: Use the noun farewell to refer specifically to a formal expression of good luck when leaving permanently, whereas casual departures typically use "goodbye." Avoid using it as an adjective in modern speech; instead, describe something as parting or final.
To bid farewell or say goodbye.
"The crowd offered warm farewells as the ship sailed away."
In plain English: To say goodbye to someone when you are leaving them for good or going away for a while.
"She stood at the door to bid him farewell before he left for his new job in another city."
Parting, valedictory, final.
"At the end of his long career, he gave a heartfelt farewell speech to his grateful colleagues before retiring."
"The farewell party was filled with memories from our time at school."
Goodbye.
"She offered a warm farewell to her friends before boarding the train."
Farewell comes from Middle English as a shortened form of the phrase "fare ye well," which was originally an imperative wish for someone's safe travels. The word combines the verb meaning "to go" or "journey" with "well," reflecting its roots in Old English commands to travelers.