Meaning of welcome in English

welcome

verb [ T ]

/ˈwel.kəm/ us

/ˈwel.kəm/

welcome verb [T] (ENCOURAGE)

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to be pleased about and encourage or support something:

The new appointment has been widely welcomed.

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We welcome the government's affirmation of its intention to act.
The peace initiative was welcomed by both sides.
They said they welcomed the trial as a chance to vindicate themselves.
This move towards improving childcare facilities has been widely welcomed.
He welcomes the opportunity to put forward his side of the story.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Backing, supporting & defending

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welcome verb [T] (MEET)

to meet and speak to someone in a friendly way when they arrive:

be warmly welcomed The visitors were warmly welcomed by the head of the department.

Browning stood at the door, welcoming newcomers with a large smile and a pat on the arm.

Please welcome (= please clap for) our guest of honour, George Taylor.

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Let's string up a banner in the garden to welcome him home.
The president welcomed the Queen with the usual courtesies.
The flight attendant welcomed us aboard.
He welcomed me with a wide smile and a warm handshake.
She rose from her chair to welcome us.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Meeting people

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welcome

adjective

/ˈwel.kəm/ us

/ˈwel.kəm/

welcome adjective (MEETING)

If someone is welcome, you are pleased when they visit you:

Come and see us whenever you're in town - you're always welcome/you'll always be welcome.

welcome guest Their tradition is that the traveller is a welcome guest.

make someone feel welcome (UK also make someone welcome)

to show someone that you are pleased that they are with you:

Dylan and Grace made us feel very welcome.

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She would never feel welcome in this city with its cold, unsmiling inhabitants.
His phone call was a welcome intrusion into an otherwise tedious morning.
The publicity generated by the court case has given a welcome boost to our sales.
After a hard day at the office, a hot bath is a welcome restorative.
The arrival of the fresh medical supplies was a welcome sight for the beleaguered doctors working in the refugee camps.

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Liked, or not liked, by many people

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welcome adjective (PLEASED)

If something is welcome, you are pleased to have or do it:

welcome change/break/relief The holiday was a welcome change/break/relief.

welcome chance/opportunity She offered him the welcome chance/opportunity to do something different.

A nice cup of tea would be very welcome.

be welcome to do something

used to tell someone that they can certainly do something:

Anyone who is interested is welcome to come along.

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Causing pleasure

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Idioms

be welcome to

you're welcome

welcome

noun

/ˈwel.kəm/ us

/ˈwel.kəm/

welcome noun (MEETING)

B1 [ C or U ]

the way in which someone is met and spoken to when they arrive in a place:

be given a warm welcome They were given a warm (= very friendly) welcome.

hero's/heroine's welcome The leader of the political protests returned to a hero's/heroine's welcome after seven years in exile.

speech of welcome/welcome speech She referred to his previous visit in her speech of welcome/welcome speech.

outstay your welcome

C2 mainly UK

(US usually overstay your welcome)

to stay too long:

I left after two days - I didn't want to outstay my welcome.

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We enjoyed a warm welcome from our American friends.
The singer received an emotional welcome from crowds of young girls.
His welcome included brass bands and cheerleaders.

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Meeting people

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welcome noun (REACTION)

[ S ]

a reaction to a decision or suggestion:

give something a welcome Their supporters gave the decision a guarded/cautious welcome.

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Backing, supporting & defending

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welcome

exclamation

/ˈwel.kəm/ us

/ˈwel.kəm/

said as a greeting to someone arriving at a place:

Welcome - please come in.

welcome home/back Welcome home/back - we've missed you!

welcome to Welcome to Cambridge.

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Welcome home - it's lovely to see you.
Welcome - I hope you will enjoy your visit to our city.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Welcoming, greeting & greetings

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(Definition of welcome from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

welcome | American Dictionary

welcome

verb [ T ]

/ˈwel·kəm/

welcome verb [T] (MEET)

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to meet or speak to someone in a friendly way when that person comes to the place where you are:

We went next door to welcome our new neighbors.

The prime minister of Canada welcomed the president warmly.

welcome verb [T] (SUPPORT)

to be pleased about or support something:

Baseball fans welcomed the end of the players’ strike.

She welcomed the opportunity to explain herself.

welcome

noun [ C ] us

/ˈwel·kəm/

We were given a warm welcome.

welcome

adjective

/ˈwel·kəm/

welcome adjective (SUPPORTED)

"You’re welcome" is a polite answer when someone thanks you:

"Thanks for taking care of our cat." "You’re welcome."

welcome adjective (MET)

(of someone who visits) received in a friendly way:

You’ll always be welcome here.

(Definition of welcome from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of welcome

welcome

We wish to clarify these and welcome the chance her commentary provided to offer aspects of the social situation surrounding the case we presented.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The volume will be welcomed by others teaching in the field.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Although welcome, these themes are not always successful, due to the thinness of the evidence.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It deserves the welcome which students reserve for a really important contribution to literary criticism.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

As such, it will be a welcome resource for students.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Whilst this book is a welcome addition to the palaeontological literature, it is important to stress that it suffers some drawbacks.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

A number of suggestions has been made about its content and more will be welcome.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Not everyone welcomed the presence of the anarchists, pagans, and crusties in the neighbourhood.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It is most welcome that the journal again receives substantial papers in psychology, and that applied economists submit their work.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In short, we welcome fast and frugal models because they make us re-think the dimensions of human judgment.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Extensive referencing and evaluation of current debates also makes it valuable for postgraduates and a welcome refresher for seasoned practitioners.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

During the same period, only one-tenth or less of their mass publics has expressed the desire to welcome back authoritarian rule.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

I'm afraid it proclaims the triumph of texture over substance and at 21 minutes way overstays its welcome.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Yet more along these lines would have been welcome, including a comparison of grammatical and phonetic information in different dictionaries.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In this instance, the cemetery's attorneys almost welcomed defeat as a way to end their ' ' untenable legal position.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

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These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of welcome?

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