salvete

Salvete is a Latin greeting used to address multiple people, roughly translating as “be well” or “greetings to you all.” It is the second-person plural imperative of the verb salvāre and is paired with the singular salve, which means “be well” to one person. The form derives from the Latin adjective salvus, meaning “safe, healthy.”

In classical Latin, salvete was a common way to greet a group at the start of conversations, letters, or speeches. Examples include Salvete, amici! (“Greetings, friends!”) or Salvete omnes! (“Greetings to you all, everyone”). The imperative mood expresses a wish for the well-being of the addressees and is not a statement about the speaker.

Modern references to salvete occur mainly in the study and recreation of Latin texts. It may appear in inscriptions, classroom exercises, or literary renderings seeking to evoke ancient Rome. For learners, it is important to distinguish salvete from salve (the singular form used to greet one person), and from Ave, another common Latin greeting with a slightly different nuance or historical usage.

See also: Ave, Salve, Latin greetings.