sir

[sur]

noun

1. a respectful or formal term of address used to a man.

   No, sir.

2. (initial capital letter),  the distinctive title of a knight or baronet.

   Sir Walter Scott.

3. (initial capital letter),  a title of respect for some notable personage of ancient times.

   Sir Pandarus of Troy.

4. a lord or gentleman.

   noble sirs and ladies.

5. an ironic or humorous title of respect.

   sir critic.

6. Archaic.,  a title of respect used before a noun to designate profession, rank, etc..

   sir priest; sir clerk.

Sir

¹

/ sɜː /

noun

1. a title of honour placed before the name of a knight or baronet

   Sir Walter Raleigh

2. archaic,  a title placed before the name of a figure from ancient history

sir

²

/ sɜː /

noun

1. a formal or polite term of address for a man

2. archaic,  a gentleman of high social status

Word History and Origins

Origin of sir¹

1250–1300; Middle English; unstressed variant of sire

Word History and Origins

Origin of sir¹

C13: variant of _sire

Example Sentences

For one glorious afternoon, oil traders were essentially reverse-panhandling: “Please, sir, take this barrel of West Texas Intermediate. Here’s forty bucks. I insist.”

Read more on MarketWatch

Inquiry chairman Sir Adrian Fulford asked Mr Wheeler if he had "any curiosity at all" about who he was selling knives to, to which Mr Wheeler replied: "I suppose not, sir."

Read more on BBC

District Judge Wain told MrJafari: "Please stand, sir. The matter having been withdrawn, you are free to go."

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“Thanks, sir, appreciate all the help,” the analyst said to the helicopter pilot.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?”

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• mister 

When To Use

What is a basic definition of sir?

Sir is a respectful form of address for a man or a term for a gentleman. When capitalized, Sir is used as a title for a knight. The word sir has a few other senses as a noun.Sir is a respectful term used to address a man. Sir is especially likely to be used to refer to a person of higher rank or authority. In this sense, sir is the male equivalent of madam or ma’am.

• Real-life examples: Waiters or other service workers are very likely to use sir when addressing male customers. Members of the military will refer to superior officers as sir or ma’am when not using their title or rank. A person may refer to their boss or manager as sir.



• Used in a sentence: The recruits answered the drill sergeant with a loud “Sir, yes, sir!”

Sir can also be used to refer to a gentleman or a lord, especially in a formal setting.

• Used in a sentence: I meant no offense to the good sir or his noble family.

The capitalized Sir indicates that a man is a knight or a baronet.

• Real-life examples: Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain were two of the knights who served the legendary King Arthur. Sir Isaac Newton and Sir Walter Raleigh are famous historical figures who were knighted. Sir Sean Connery, Sir Patrick Stewart, and Sir Ian McKellan are three modern actors who were knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.



• Used in a sentence: Because Gregory had served Great Britain loyally for over 50 years, he was knighted and became Sir Gregory.