salute

1 of 2

verb

sa·​lute sə-ˈlüt How to pronounce salute (audio)
saluted; saluting

transitive verb

1
a
: to address with expressions of kind wishes, courtesy, or honor
b
: to give a sign of respect, courtesy, or goodwill to : greet
2
: to become apparent to (one of the senses)
3
a
: to honor (a person, a nation, an event, etc.) by a conventional military or naval ceremony
b
: to show respect and recognition to (a military superior) by assuming a prescribed position
c
: to express commendation of : praise

intransitive verb

: to make a salute
saluter noun

salute

2 of 2

noun

1
2
a
: a sign, token, or ceremony expressing goodwill, compliment, or respect
the festival was a salute to the arts
b
: the position (as of the hand) or the entire attitude of a person saluting a superior
3

Examples of salute in a Sentence

Verb We salute our country's soldiers. The players saluted the fans. The president saluted her bravery. Noun The officers gave the general a salute. They raised their hands in salute. The concert was a salute to country music legends. Twenty-one guns were fired in salute. We raise our glasses in salute to the newlyweds.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
In his remarks, Sures saluted his late father, who fought in Israel’s War of Independence in 1948. Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025 The man nods in reverence from inside a building to salute the monster, but Godzilla doesn't reciprocate his kindness. Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
After a royal salute in which the Ukrainian national anthem was played, Zelenskyy was invited to inspect the Guard of Honor put on by the Grenadier Guards. Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 The all-weather aircraft executed a series of precise manoeuvres, including a hover salute, backward ascent, and vertical climb, before deploying jamming flares in a vivid display of battlefield readiness. Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for salute

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Latin salutare, from salut-, salus health, safety, greeting, from salvus safe, healthy — more at safe

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of salute was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Salute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salute. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

salute

1 of 2 verb
sa·​lute sə-ˈlüt How to pronounce salute (audio)
saluted; saluting
1
: to greet with courteous words or a bow
2
a
: to honor by a standard military ceremony
b
: to show respect to by taking the proper position
salute an officer
saluter noun

salute

2 of 2 noun
1
2
a
: a sign or ceremony of goodwill, compliment, or respect
b
: the position taken by a person saluting a military officer

More from Merriam-Webster on salute

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!