ma'am
Americannoun
Usage
Ma'am is used as a title of respect, especially when addressing female royalty
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ma'am
First recorded in 1660–70; by contraction
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When asked by Prof Mason whether he would describe the distance between Nicole and Xielo as being a "significant" distance, he said: "On the balance of probabilities, yes ma'am."
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026
“You’re following us, ma’am, we are doing an operation,” the agent says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025
Get out there and get on with your day, ma’am or sir!
From Slate ● Jul. 26, 2025
Cohen said: "No ma'am," adding that it was not enough work for him to send an invoice.
From Salon ● May 14, 2024
“Yes, ma’am. I mean no, ma’am, she’s fine.”
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
He brings out her worst self and yes ma’ams her most divalicious impulses.
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2013
Griffin — a military brat raised to use yes sirs and yes ma’ams in his speech and to live a life of discipline and character — continued his truth campaign by proclaiming two more facts.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 25, 2012
“Please, ma’am,” said Alyce, who had learned that ma’ams and sirs served her well even with cooks and stableboys when asking favors.
From "The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cushman
Every other professor was happy with their yes, sirs and no, ma’ams, but Green had never been impressed with me.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Old Mizzou mentally added another exception to his sweeping rule about "grass widders and school ma'ams."
From The Westerners by White, Stewart Edward
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
