easy
Welcome to our neighborhood picnic!
What does Welcome mean?
Welcome is a friendly greeting or reception, or means to greet, gladly accept, or allow someone or something.
Dictionary definition
Welcome can greet someone who arrives; as a verb, it means to greet someone warmly or accept an idea or event with pleasure. As an adjective, it means gladly received, pleasing, or permitted. As a noun, it means a greeting, reception, or the state of being gladly received.
Example sentences
Welcome in a sentence
medium
The club welcomed new members, and their ideas were welcome too.
hard
After thanking the volunteers for their warm welcome, Ana left before she could overstay her welcome.
Writing practice
Ready to write your own? Study the examples, then practice welcome in a sentence with Sentence Builder checklist feedback.
Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Welcome
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
Which sentence uses welcome as a noun?
Here, welcome names the friendly greeting or reception the visitors received.
Practice 2
What does a welcome change mean?
As an adjective, welcome can describe news, relief, help, or a change that gives pleasure or meets a need.
Practice 3
What does overstay your welcome mean?
Overstay your welcome is common in North American English; British English also uses outstay your welcome.
Practice complete
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Pronunciation coach
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Welcome
Voice settings
Sounds like
wel · kum · strongest beat: wel
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordWelcome.
Partinterjection, verb, adjective, noun.
MeaningWelcome is a friendly greeting or reception, or means to greet, gladly accept, or allow someone or something.
ExampleExample: Welcome to our neighborhood picnic!
Word breakdown
2 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- wel · kum
- Strongest beat
- wel
- Ending
- kum
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on wel.
Your turn
Say Welcome
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Nice work—you practiced welcome.
Synonyms
Words like Welcome
greetA close verb when welcome means meet or address someone on arrival; greet does not by itself imply warm acceptance.
receive gladlyFits the verb sense of accepting a person, idea, event, or opportunity with pleasure.
greetingA close noun when welcome names words or actions used to receive someone who arrives.
pleasingFits the adjective sense in phrases such as welcome news or a welcome change.
Antonyms
Opposite words
Synonym practice
Want to practice welcome synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "We welcome new students with a smile," then compare close word choices. Practice welcome synonyms.
Word family
Welcome word family
Base word
welcome
verb
welcomes
The present-tense form used with he, she, it, or a group treated as singular.
verb
welcomed
The past-tense and past-participle form.
adjective
welcoming
Friendly and likely to make people feel accepted; also the continuing verb form.
adjective
unwelcome
Not wanted, pleasing, or gladly received.
noun
welcomer
A less-common word for a person who welcomes others.
Related words
Explore related words
Student support
Understand Welcome
Hint for students
Look at the job welcome performs: it may greet, name a reception, show glad acceptance, describe something pleasing, give permission, or politely answer thanks.
Common mix-up
Welcome does not always mean hello. You’re welcome politely answers thanks, be welcome to gives permission, and overstay your welcome means remain longer than a host is pleased to receive you. British English also uses outstay your welcome.
Try it in class or at home
Students sort welcome examples by part of speech and meaning, then write one inclusive greeting and one sentence in which a suggestion is welcomed without claiming that everyone agrees.
Teacher prompt
Compare Welcome!, welcome a visitor, welcome an idea, a welcome change, a warm welcome, and You’re welcome. Ask what part of speech and meaning appears in each example.
Learning activities
Practice Welcome and explore more word games
Cards labelled “Practice WELCOME” keep this word in focus. Explore cards open games with other words.
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Sentence Builder
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Spell Hive
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Context Clue Challenge
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Synonym Search
Compare meanings in a question that includes WELCOME.
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Explore · Scramble
Scrambled Bees
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