greeting

greeting — noun

1. a word, gesture, or action used when you meet someone, such as saying 'hello' or

1.nounA1
Definition

a word, gesture, or action used when you meet someone, such as saying 'hello' or shaking hands.

Example

Quan gave a friendly greeting to the new family moving in next door.

'friendly greeting' + meet [person]

The children called out a greeting to their grandfather as he walked in.

Common collocations
  • friendly greeting
  • wave in greeting
  • nod in greeting
  • exchange greetings
Synonyms
  • salutation

    very formal or literary; rarely used in everyday speech

  • welcome

    specifically for greeting someone who has just arrived, often at a home or event

Antonyms
  • farewell

    what you say when leaving, not when meeting

Usage Note

Commonly used with verbs like 'give', 'offer', 'exchange', and 'return'. A greeting can be non-verbal — a wave, nod, or smile often works just as well as words.

Common Mistakes

I gave him a greeting hello.
I gave him a greeting.' or 'I said hello to him.
'greeting' already includes the idea of saying hello, so 'greeting hello' is redundant.
She was greeting to me.
She gave me a greeting.
'greeting' as a noun needs a verb like 'give' or 'offer'; it is not used directly with 'to' like a verb.

2. a written or spoken message wishing someone happiness, health, or good luck, oft

2.nounB1
Definition

a written or spoken message wishing someone happiness, health, or good luck, often sent on a special occasion such as a birthday or holiday.

Example

Selim sent birthday greetings to his cousin who lives in Japan.

'send + [occasion] greetings'

The card was filled with warm greetings from the whole team.

'filled with + warm greetings'

Common collocations
  • birthday greetings
  • holiday greetings
  • warm greetings
  • pass on greetings
Synonyms
  • regards

    used mainly at the end of letters or emails; less warm than 'greetings'

  • wishes

    more general; often paired with 'best' ('best wishes')

  • compliments

    formal, often in 'with compliments' on gift cards or invitations

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural form ('greetings') when referring to good wishes. The singular form in this sense is rare and usually appears in fixed phrases.

Common Mistakes

Send my greeting to your family.
Send my greetings to your family.
when expressing good wishes, 'greetings' is normally plural.
Greeting for the New Year.
New Year greetings.
English typically places the occasion before 'greetings', not after a preposition.
Idioms

season’s greetings

idiom

A polite expression used to wish someone a happy holiday time, especially around Christmas.

Maya sent a card with warm season's greetings to her grandparents.

Did you receive season's greetings from your old classmates?

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three refer to acknowledging someone upon meeting, but they differ in context and tone. 'Greeting' is the broadest and most neutral — it covers any word, gesture, or action used when you meet someone, from a casual 'hey' to a formal bow. 'Welcome' is warmer and more specific: it is used when the person has just arrived at a place or event, and it carries a sense of hospitality. 'Salutation' is very formal or literary and rarely used in everyday English; you might read it in a novel ('a respectful salutation') or see it in ceremonial language, but you would not use it when greeting a friend. If you are meeting a colleague at the office door, use 'greeting'. If they are arriving at your home for dinner, use 'welcome'. If you are writing a historical novel, 'salutation' might fit.

greeting ↗salutationwelcome ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • exchange greetings
  • offer a greeting
  • return a greeting
  • pass on greetings

Prepositions

  • in greeting

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Greeting' comes from the Old English verb 'grētan', which meant 'to approach, salute, or speak to someone'. This word is related to the German 'grüßen' (to greet). Over time, the noun form 'greeting' emerged in Middle English to describe the words or gestures used when meeting someone. By the 19th century, the plural form 'greetings' had also developed a separate meaning: written messages of good wishes sent on special occasions.