sincerely

American  

[sin-seer-lee] / sɪnˈsɪər li /

adverb

1. in a way that is genuine, earnest, or truthful.

   We sincerely hope you can accept our apology.

2. a conventional term used at the end of a letter.

   Sincerely, Mrs. Rose McNair.

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Usage

Spelling tips for sincerely The word sincerely is hard to spell because many often miss the second e, as in sincerly, or they include it in the wrong place, as in sincerley. Also, sometimes people may be confused about whether and where the s and c go, as in sinserely or cinserely. How to spell sincerely: The easiest way to remember how to spell sincerely is to start with the adjective sincere. This helps you include the second e in the right place, as sincer would be pronounced quite differently than sincere. Then, you turn sincere into an adverb by adding the typical adverb-forming suffix -ly, resulting in sincerely. To help you remember that sincerely has an s and then a c, keep in mind the phrase "sincere scout." Scout uses an s followed by a c, just like sincere.

Etymology

Origin of sincerely

First recorded in 1560–70; sincere ( def. ) + -ly ( def. ); sincerely def. 2 recorded in 1700–05

Explanation

Sincerely is one way of signing off on a letter you’ve written, and it’s also an adverb you’d use when you want to emphasize how much you really mean it. I sincerely hope you understand what I’m talking about. Sincerity means being completely honest about what you mean, and only those who have sincerity should use the related word sincerely to describe their actions. If you sincerely want to swim in a lake, you’re not at all joking, which explains your bathing suit. You can use sincerely at the end of a note, too: “Dear Mom, I sincerely wish you would stop cutting my sandwiches into heart shapes. Sincerely yours, Kurt.” No doubt, Kurt sincerely means it.

Example Sentences

My favorite depictions of this city know its real history is too cuckoo to capture sincerely; straight reenactments make the production of 35mm masterpieces look as piddly as Shrinky Dinks.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

"I sincerely regret any action, omission, misunderstanding or misinterpretation that may have resulted in a non-compliance with the order," a humbled Duale told the court.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

"We are sincerely sorry to customers for disruption to their water supply and know how frustrating it is, especially in hot weather," he said.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

If Times employees sincerely believe that Times management is using AI to run the newspaper like a dystopian police state, can we really expect staff to file perfectly balanced copy on the potential of AI?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Candace places her hand on Dad’s arm and looks sincerely into his eyes.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• candidly
• deeply
• earnestly
• genuinely
• naturally
• profoundly
• really
• truly
• truthfully
• wholeheartedly