Meaning & use
dear colleagues
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraseformal
A polite way to begin a letter or email addressed to the people you work with.
Grammar: Used only as a greeting at the very start of a message, followed by a comma.
Patterns
- Dear colleagues, ...
- Dear colleagues and friends, ...
Dear colleagues, I am writing to let you know about the changes to our schedule.
Dear colleagues, thank you for all your hard work this term.
She began the email with 'Dear colleagues' and then explained the new policy.
phrasefixed phrasehumorous
Used in speech, often humorously, to address a group of coworkers before saying something.
Grammar: Spoken as a whole unit; usually said with a slight pause after it.
Patterns
- Dear colleagues, ...
Dear colleagues, may I have your attention for a moment?
'Dear colleagues,' he said, smiling at everyone in the room, 'we have a small problem.'
Common combinations
- Dear colleagues, I am writing to ...
- Dear colleagues, I am writing to ask for your help with the survey.
- Dear colleagues and friends
- Dear colleagues and friends, welcome to the annual dinner.
- address someone as 'Dear colleagues'
- In British offices it is common to address a group as 'Dear colleagues'.
- start an email with 'Dear colleagues'
- If you don't know everyone's name, start the email with 'Dear colleagues'.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Dear all
- Very similar and also common in work emails, but slightly less formal and can sound a little casual.
- Hi everyone
- Friendly and informal; better for a team you know well, not for a formal announcement.
- Dear team
- Used when you are writing to one particular team rather than all your coworkers.
Word family
- colleague noun
- A person you work with, especially in a profession.
- colleagueship noun
- Rare word for the relationship between colleagues.
Commonly confused: dear colleagues or Dear college? dear colleagues or Dear colleges?
dear colleagues vs Dear college
'College' is a place of study; 'colleagues' are the people you work with. The spelling difference matters in a greeting.
dear colleagues vs Dear colleges
This would mean you are writing to several schools or colleges, not to your coworkers.
Practice
Which opening is the most appropriate for a formal email to everyone in your department?
Choose one answer.
'Dear colleagues,' addresses a group of coworkers politely and is standard in formal workplace email. 'Dear colleague,' is singular, so it suits one person, not the whole department. 'Hey guys,' is too casual, and 'To whom it may concern,' is for an unknown reader, not your own team.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dear colleagues”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.