Standard Lemma guide

salutatorian

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • sə-lyo͞o'-tə-tŏrʹ-ē-ən
  • /səˌljuː.təˈtɔːɹ.iː.ən/
  • US: /səˌluː.təˈtɔːɹ.iː.ən/
  • UK: /səˌljuː.təˈtɔːɹ.iː.ən/
  • rhymes with -ɔːɹiən
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH0 L UW2 T AH0 T AO1 R IY0 AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The person who graduates high school with the second-highest GPA and thus gets to give the salutatory address during the graduation ceremony.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Topics: education

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a graduating student with the second highest academic rank; may deliver the opening address at graduation exercises

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: salutatory speaker

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: scholar, scholarly person, bookman, student

History

Etymology

From salutatory + -an.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: втори по успех (vtori po uspeh) — The person with the second highest GPA
  • Polish: salutatorian — The person with the second highest GPA
  • Tagalog: pangalawang dangal — The person with the second highest GPA