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Asked by: Sharyl Lopez Reina
family and relationships marriage and civil unionsWhat is the meaning of Maam?
English Language Learners Definition ofma'am
US —used to politely speak to a woman who you donot know. British —used to speak to the Queen or to a womanof high rank in the police or military.
Correspondingly, is it ma'am or mam?
"Ma'am" could be substituted for Miss orMissus if you were talking to a teacher/lecturer, whereas"Mam" is an informal and extremely casual way of sayingmother. "Mam" is commonly shortened to "Ma" inIreland for referring to a mother, whereas "Ma'am"would never be used in any context here.
Herein, how do you use the word ma am?
Ma'am is often used in the militaryinstead of "Sir", to a female of higher rank. Ma'amis used to note respect to a woman with a noble title. You wouldnot always say "Lady Susan", the maid could answer, "Yes,Ma'am."
Usage notes Both ma'am and its full form madam areonly rarely (far less commonly than in the US) used to expressrespect outside of these circumstances. In American English, thefull form madam is limited as a form of address to certain highlyformal environments, while ma'am is the usualterm.