Dictionary

valedictorian en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌvæl.ə.dɪkˈtoɹ.i.ən/ (General-American)
• /ˌvæl.ə.dɪkˈtoɹ.i.ɪn/ (General-American)
• /ˌvæl.əd.ɪkˈtɔɹ.ɪən/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Formed 1759, from valedictory (“of a speech made when leaving”) + -an.

Meanings

1. (Canada, US, qualifier:properly) The individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell or valedictory address, often the person who graduates with the highest grades.
   • 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. 2021 June 11, Stephanie Saul, “Two Black Students Won School Honors. Then Came the Calls for a Recount.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 11 Jun 2021:
   • 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. 2020 July 2, Arthur C. Brooks, “A College Degree Is No Guarantee of a Good Life”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 19 Apr 2021:
2. (Canada, US, colloquial) The individual in a graduating class who graduates with the highest grades.
   • A social media firestorm erupted last week after two Texas high school valedictorians revealed that they were undocumented immigrants heading to well-respected U.S. colleges with financial aid. 2016 June 17, Octavio Blanco, “Undocumented students and the controversial path to affording college”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 07 Jun 2025:

Forms

Coordinates

salutatorian

Deriveds

covaledictorian

Relateds

valediction · valedictory

Synonyms

dux

Translations (24)

chr ᏩᏌᎹᏗᏴ ᏧᏍᏆᏛᎢ (no 1 student) · de Jahrgangsprimus (no 1 student) · pl valedictorian (farewell speech giver) · pl prymuska (no 1 student) · cmn 狀元 /状元 (no 1 student) · sv toppstudent (no 1 student) · fr major (no 1 student) · sv avslutningstalare (farewell speech giver) · gl o primeiro da clase (no 1 student) · pl prymus (no 1 student) · de Jahrgangsbester (no 1 student) · ru отличник (no 1 student) · sv avskedstalare (farewell speech giver) · hu búcsúbeszédet mondó végzős diák (farewell speech giver) · kk үздік (no 1 student) · fi priimus (no 1 student) · de Abschiedsredner (farewell speech giver) · fr major de promotion (no 1 student) · gl orador (farewell speech giver) · ru отличница (no 1 student) · hu évfolyamelső (no 1 student) · pt orador (farewell speech giver) · vi thủ khoa đầu ra (no 1 student) · tl unang dangal (no 1 student)