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Glite Dictionary
salutatory speaker

salutatory speaker

9.1
A graduating student with the second highest rank who gives the opening speech at graduation
  • noun
  • /səˈluːtəˌtɔri ˈspiːkər/
  • US
translation icon : salutatoriano
  • Our school's salutatory speaker gave an inspiring address to open the graduation ceremony.

Examples

  • After her years of hard work, Maria was named salutatory speaker for the class of 2022.

  • The selection process for salutatory speaker was highly competitive this year.

  • The salutatory speaker delivered an inspiring speech.

  • Who will be the salutatory speaker this year?

  • After her years of hard work, Maria was named salutatory speaker for the class of 2022.

  • Our school's salutatory speaker gave an inspiring address to open the graduation ceremony.

  • The selection process for salutatory speaker was highly competitive this year.

Synonyms

speaker
vssalutatory speaker
478 2.1

A person who gives a talk to an audience

is a specific graduating student ranked second who gives the opening address
salutatorian
vssalutatory speaker
  • US
2 8.5

A student with the second highest grades who gives the opening speech at graduation

is the same role but described with ceremony-focused wording

Surface Forms

salutatory speaker singular
salutatory speakers plural

Morphology

salutatory + speaker

A learner who knows 'salutatory' (a welcoming graduation statement) and 'speaker' can infer this refers to the person who gives the salutatory address, so the basic compositional meaning is recoverable. However, the specific cultural/academic nuance (often the graduating student with the second-highest rank) and the rarity of 'salutatory' make the full, conventional sense less predictable, so it is not fully transparent.

Etymology

The noun salutatory speaker comes from the word salute meaning 'to greet' and speaker meaning someone who talks. A salutatory speaker is the student chosen to give the opening or 'welcome' speech at a graduation, so the name reminds us they 'greet' the audience and start the ceremony.