sir
noun
a respectful or formal term of address used to a man.
sir
American
[sur]
/ sɜr /
noun
-
sirs
plural
-
a respectful or formal term of address used to a man.
No, sir.
-
(initial capital letter) the distinctive title of a knight or baronet.
Sir Walter Scott.
-
(initial capital letter) a title of respect for some notable personage of ancient times.
Sir Pandarus of Troy.
-
a lord or gentleman.
noble sirs and ladies.
-
an ironic or humorous title of respect.
sir critic.
-
Archaic. a title of respect used before a noun to designate profession, rank, etc..
sir priest; sir clerk.
Sir
1
British
/ sɜː /
noun
-
a title of honour placed before the name of a knight or baronet
Sir Walter Raleigh
-
archaic a title placed before the name of a figure from ancient history
sir
2
British
/ sɜː /
noun
-
a formal or polite term of address for a man
-
archaic a gentleman of high social status
Usage
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!”
- Used in a sentence: I meant no offense to the good sir or his noble family.
- 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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sir
1250–1300; Middle English; unstressed variant of sire
Explanation
Use the word sir as a formal title for a man. People often use sir to respectfully or politely address someone they don't know well. When you're saying hello to a man who's been knighted by the Queen of England, you should call him sir — it's the official way to address a knight. You can also use this word when you're writing a formal business letter: "Dear Sir or Madam, I am interested in applying for a job at your candy company." And if you're a waiter, you might use it too: "Your hamburger, sir."
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:
French: “But of course you can, sir, but really how would it look?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
He proclaimed “there was a lot of love in that room,” later telling the press, “They said, ‘We love you, sir, we love you.’
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Among those who have come to see "Sonam sir" is Animesh Sahu, a 29-year-old engineer from Hyderabad.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The president patted one student on the arm and asked if he was a "strong person," to which the boy replied "yes, sir."
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
“Yes, sir, very cool. Let’s have lunch here and then head back. Are you craving anything?”
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, Manchester United have struggled to get close to the success they enjoyed under the 26-year reign of the legendary Scot.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Sir Olly Robbins has reached an out-of-court settlement with the government, after he was sacked as the top civil servant in the Foreign Office over the vetting of Lord Mandelson to be US ambassador.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
In response, Sir Alan said the prime minister had "said that he misspoke, he has apologised and he has corrected the record".
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Al Pinkerton, the party's Europe spokesman, told the BBC there had been a frank exchange of views during the meeting, but Sir Ed's willingness to make changes had been "very well received."
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Then, the world discovered that Sir Franklin would never return.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
The Oscar winner and the former football England captain are among 19 new sirs, while 21 damehoods have been announced, including singer and actress Elaine Paige and Regeneration novelist Pat Barker.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2025
Thank you for coming to Rhode Island, sirs and madams.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 28, 2018
Please do not toy with us, good sirs.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2016
"Now many owners are appearing. No sirs, this is Colombian heritage."
From Reuters ● Dec. 8, 2015
“And please don’t tell anyone I said so, sirs and madams, but if I were you, I’d hide that bird out of sight. The conductors won’t like it, first-class tickets or not. ”
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
