ma'am

noun

ˈmam How to pronounce ma'am (audio)
 after "yes" often  əm
: madam
used without a name as a form of respectful or polite address to a woman
Thank you, ma'am.
"Yes, ma'am. Come in, ma'am. I'll tell Miss Lavendar you're here, ma'am. She's upstairs, ma'am." Lucy Maud Montgomery
"My dear ma'am," said the parson, replying in preference to the lady … Edward Bulwer-Lytton
She looked down at him and said, "He most certainly is a large dog." "Yes ma'am," I told her. "He has a large heart, too." Kate DiCamillo

Examples of ma'am in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Erin Moriarty:— and to kill Detective Roach? Bobby Tarr: No, ma'am. Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024 Wait, ma'am, give me this straight poop ears, is this for real? Leah Feiger, WIRED, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ma'am was in 1668

Dictionary Entries Near ma'am

Cite this Entry

“Ma'am.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ma%27am. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

ma'am

noun
ˈmam How to pronounce ma'am (audio)
 after  ",
 yes  ",
 often  əm
: madam

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