Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The student with the highest academic rank in a class who delivers the valedictory at graduation.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In American colleges and some academies and high schools, the student who pronounces the valedictory oration at the annual commencement or graduating exorcises of his class: usually chosen as the scholar bearing the highest rank in the graduating class, as the best representative, for various reasons, of the whole class, or as otherwise worthy of special distinction.
Wiktionary
- n. US, Canada, properly The individual in a graduating class who delivers the farewell or valedictory address, usually the person who graduates with the highest grades.
- n. US, Canada, colloquial The individual in a graduating class who graduates with the highest grades.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. One who pronounces a valedictory address; especially, in American colleges, the student who pronounces the valedictory of the graduating class at the annual commencement, usually the student who ranks first in scholarship.
WordNet 3.0
- n. the student with the best grades who usually delivers the valedictory address at commencement
Etymologies
- Formed 1759, from valediction. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Traditionally, in Vimy-Ridge-Canada, the valedictorian is the student in the graduating class with the highest marks.”
“The original meaning of the word "valedictorian" refers to bidding farewell, not to the rank of the student giving the address, but over the years, Brennan said, people have lost sight of the true meaning of the distinction.”
“It was this question and others that led me to approach the administration to ask how valedictorian is determined, and what I learned is there are no written policies.”
“Anyway, the reason I came to the word valedictorian today puts the lie to a valedictorian being the loneliest kid in the class.”
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“Really, a white student, but a valedictorian, that is until now.”
“This is the place where I resisted the enormous temptation to explain to him what he probably should already know as valedictorian of his high school class --- that intellect is not an inherited characteristic.”
“It perked up his ears because he'd sort of assumed the very word valedictorian encapsulated a meaning of a "single individual.”
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“The fact is, for all their vaunted election prowess, they're stuck with a C-plus student as their "valedictorian" this year and there's nothing they can do about it.”
“I've heard of "valedictorian," but what's the Latin term for the smartest guy in prison?”
“If the word "valedictorian" didn't come to mind, I'd be surprised.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘valedictorian’.
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You think you're so smart, don't you?
Brainy kids, from someone else's POV.
poindexter, pencil head, egghead, smartmouth, geek, brainiac, square, nerdling, double-dome, brain, pointy head, honor student and 19 more...
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Words that sound nice
I can't say exactly what makes these words sound so harmonious...the finely balanced distribution of consonants and vowels? the lack of harsh sounds? the regal elegance of Latin roots? anyway...
felicity, luminous, caliper, amatory, valedictorian, sanatorium, nice, chrysalis, luminosity, luminescence, senescence, evanescence and 6 more...
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Double Dactyls
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_dactyl
http...antediluvian, incontrovertible, incontrovertible, gubernatorial, microanatomy, higgledy piggledy, valedictorian, lexicographical, animadversional, labiovelarize, sesquipedalian, fan-fucking-tastical and 86 more...
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MiaLuthien's list ♥
gambit, prehensile, coquetry, impunity, genuflect, ensconce, clavicle, delude, beget, castigate, life caching, convoluted and 478 more...
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reginaterra's Words
purl, blow, squish, andean, generality, adaptation, lush, pack, filter, acquiesce, abstraction, sweet and 508 more...
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NeoVolt's Words
schadenfreude, serendipity, idiosyncrasy, loess, caducous, vagary, schematic, steeple, licentious, tangential, verisimilitude, vernacular and 385 more...
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Alphabet Soup (?): Round 1
Congratulations to uselessness who, in no uncertain terms, sent this moderator back to school.
vile, lively, livery, live, liver, virile, virgil, villain, vilify, evil, vigilante, ventilation and 45 more...
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chrono's Words
zany, yank, xenophobia, wanker, valedictorian, ubiquitous, topology, serendipity, renaissance, quorum, paradox, oxymoron and 14 more...
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valentine's Words
terpsichore, anthropomorphic, amalgamate, cavalier, destrier, kumquat, morose, tenacious, camellia sinensis, constantinople, bayonet, hyoid bone and 58 more...
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