Ma'am

From Fresh Dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Noun 1.3 See also 1.4 Usage note

English

Etymology

Contraction of madam.

Noun

ma’am

1. madam

See also

• sir
• Ms.
• miss
• Mrs.
• mister

Usage note

While madam as a form of address is limited to certain highly formal environments, at least in US speech, ma’am is current in everyday speech in many regions. It is used as a polite form of address toward (but not strictly limited to)

• a female stranger presumed old enough to have children, particularly if older than the speaker
• a female customer one is serving
• a female teacher or school official in a school which emphasizes formailty
• a female superior in the military

Similarly, the usage yes, ma’am connotes deference, particularly by one who has been scolded for misbehavior, but also in more friendly circumstances.

Being addressed as ma’am for the first time is a minor rite of passage.

Ma’am is used strictly as a form of address, and not in the various other senses of madam.