Meaning & use
to whom it may concern
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformalold-fashioned
A polite opening for a letter or notice meant for anyone who may read it, used when the writer does not know a specific recipient.
Grammar: Fixed phrase, often capitalized and followed by a comma or colon at the start of a letter: To Whom It May Concern:
Patterns
- To whom it may concern,
The reference letter began with 'To whom it may concern' because the writer did not know the employer.
I wasn't sure who would read my complaint, so I started with 'To whom it may concern'.
The landlord's note was headed 'To Whom It May Concern' and was pinned to the door.
Common combinations
- address a letter to whom it may concern
- She addressed the reference letter to whom it may concern.
- begin with to whom it may concern
- Begin with to whom it may concern if you have no name.
- a to whom it may concern letter
- The school wrote a to whom it may concern letter for the visa.
- a generic greeting
- To whom it may concern is a generic greeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Dear Sir or Madam
- This is a traditional alternative, but it sounds more old-fashioned and assumes the reader's gender.
- Dear Hiring Manager
- This names the reader's role, so it feels more personal than to whom it may concern.
- Hello
- Hello is informal and suits emails to colleagues, while to whom it may concern suits official letters.
Word family
Commonly confused: to whom it may concern or to who it may concern?
to whom it may concern vs to who it may concern
This version is a common mistake; after the preposition to, the correct pronoun is whom, not who.
Practice
You are writing a reference letter and do not know who will read it. Which opening is the standard fixed phrase?
Choose one answer.
The set phrase uses whom after to. 'To who' is a common error and the others are not the fixed expression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to whom it may concern”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.