Sir or Madam

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phraseformalold-fashioned

   A polite formal greeting for a letter or email addressed to someone whose name and gender are not known.

   Grammar: Always capitalized and almost always preceded by Dear: Dear Sir or Madam,.

   Patterns

   • Dear Sir or Madam

   The letter began with 'Dear Sir or Madam' because the writer had no contact name.

   I wasn't sure who would read my complaint, so I wrote 'Dear Sir or Madam' at the top.

   Some companies now find 'Dear Sir or Madam' stiff and old-fashioned.

2. 2phrasefixed phraseformal

   A respectful way of addressing a person of either sex when speaking or writing to them in a formal, business or service setting.

   Grammar: Used as a form of address, often at the start or end of a formal request.

   Patterns

   • to Sir or Madam

   The notice was addressed to Sir or Madam and asked for payment within thirty days.

   The clerk wrote 'Sir or Madam' on the form's greeting line.

   Please direct this request to Sir or Madam at the service desk.

Common combinations

Dear Sir or Madam

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing to apply for the vacancy.

address it to Sir or Madam

If you have no name, address it to Sir or Madam.

greeting of Sir or Madam

A greeting of Sir or Madam feels very formal today.

begin with Sir or Madam

The cover letter began with Sir or Madam.

Yours faithfully

A letter beginning Dear Sir or Madam in British English ends Yours faithfully.

Synonyms and how they differ

To whom it may concern

To whom it may concern avoids gender altogether, so it sounds more neutral than Sir or Madam.

Dear Hiring Manager

Dear Hiring Manager names the role of the reader, which feels more modern and specific than Sir or Madam.

Dear colleagues

Dear colleagues suits a group you work with, while Sir or Madam addresses one unknown stranger.

Word family

sir noun

a polite way of addressing a man

madam noun

a polite way of addressing a woman

ma'am noun

a shortened American form of madam used in speech

Commonly confused: Sir or Madam or Dear Sirs?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “Sir or Madam”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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