Salutatory

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /səˈluː.təˌtɔːɹ.iː/

Definitions

1. A formal address or speech given as a greeting or welcoming gesture, especially at a graduation ceremony
2. Relating to an introductory or welcoming speech typically presented at the start of a formal event
3. Characteristic of an opening address which conveys greetings or welcomes participants to a ceremony

Etymology: Salutatory comes from Latin "salūtātōrius," built from "salūtāre," "to greet," which itself derives from "salūs," meaning health or well-being. The Latin root carried the sense of wishing someone good health, which is why a greeting was originally a kind of blessing. The suffix "-tōrius" marks something that performs an action, so the word describes something that serves to greet. In English the word is a straightforward borrowing from that Latin adjective, and its meaning has stayed close to the original: something delivered as a welcome. Its best-known modern use is the "salutatory address," the opening speech given at a graduation or formal occasion, where the speaker welcomes the audience before the main proceedings begin.

Synonyms: greeting, welcoming, receptive