madam
Americannoun
-
(often initial capital letter) a polite term of address to a woman, originally used only to a woman of rank or authority.
Madam President; May I help you, madam?
-
the woman in charge of a household.
Is the madam at home?
-
the woman in charge of a house of prostitution.
noun
-
a polite term of address for a woman, esp one considered to be of relatively high social status
-
a woman who runs a brothel
-
informal a precocious or pompous little girl
-
informal the lady of the house
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of madam
1250–1300; Middle English madame < Old French, originally ma dame my lady; see dame
Explanation
Madam is a very formal way to address a woman, particularly an older or married woman. A waiter at a fancy restaurant might say, "Your table is ready, madam." If a stranger calls a woman madam, he probably sees her as a mature, dignified person. If the woman is younger, she is more likely to be called "miss," and sometimes madam is abbreviated as "ma'am." Another kind of madam is a woman who owns or runs a house of prostitution. Madam comes from the French phrase ma dame, "my lady."
Vocabulary lists containing madam
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.
"How would madam like her hair today?" teased Mrs Bennett, combing the hair of one of her four-year-old charges.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2025
“Poor Things” features Bella, a reanimated woman who has to invent her life, and her guideposts are a prostitute, a brothel madam and a former actress.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2023
Speaker Frank: A simple matter of coordination, madam.
From Scientific American • Sep. 21, 2023
“Tickets, madam? I have a tour starting soon,” came one pitch.
From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2023
“Me and my madam and the children are leaving tomorrow morning for the village. I came to tell you to stay well. Ka o di.”
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
