congratulatory

adjective

con·​grat·​u·​la·​to·​ry kən-ˈgra-chə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce congratulatory (audio)
-ˈgra-jə-
: expressing or conveying congratulations
a congratulatory message
As the magnitude of our discovery began to sink in, I thought to myself, "I think I know how we're going to be spending the next 20 years." I turned to shake hands and receive congratulatory hugs from our ecstatic workmen.Kent R. Weeks
see also self-congratulatory

Examples of congratulatory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As the November election gets closer, Biden’s team is eager to tout what he’s done to address student loan debt – with the administration recently sending congratulatory emails to 153,000 debt-relief recipients – even if his actions fall short of some Democrats’ expectations. Cnn, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 After shaking a few hands and accepting some congratulatory messages from a host of well-wishers, Jeff Peterson settles in for a brief break. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 Cárdenas offered congratulatory words, as did Valley congressmember Brad Sherman and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 And, at the end of the clip, Hudson shows Roy receiving some congratulatory pets. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 Bust out the blue sequins, polish up your roller skates, and start sending those congratulatory gifts to Taylor Swift. Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2024 Victoria reacts to Ariana's congratulatory Instagram story on the #GRAMMYs red carpetpic.twitter.com/jUIzTGqMSH — Victoria Monét Updates (@victoriantribe) February 4, 2024 Victoria Monét is twinning with her daughter Hazel on the #GRAMMYs red carpet. Vulture, 4 Feb. 2024 Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, who posted 16 points and six rebounds in the Thunder’s win over the Hornets, and even Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. have received many more congratulatory pats on the back. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 2 Feb. 2024 Alcaraz got a congratulatory call from Felipe VI King of Spain after the win. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'congratulatory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of congratulatory was in 1523

Dictionary Entries Near congratulatory

Cite this Entry

“Congratulatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congratulatory. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

congratulatory

adjective
con·​grat·​u·​la·​to·​ry
kən-ˈgrach-(ə-)lə-ˌtōr-ē,
-ˌtȯr-
: expressing congratulations
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!