madam
madam Lexical Profile
madam Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A polite or formal form of address for a woman, or a title placed before the name of a high official office held by a woman.
"The clerk bowed slightly and asked, "How may I assist you today, madam?""
A woman who manages or owns a brothel.
"The historical novel recounted the life of a notorious madam in nineteenth-century New Orleans."
British A conceited, bossy, or precocious girl or young woman.
"She can be a proper little madam when she does not get her own way."
Word Nuance & Usage
While used alone as a polite form of address (often contracted to "ma'am" in speech) or before an official title such as "Madam President," it is rarely placed before a surname; when used as a countable noun ("a madam"), it typically refers either to a woman running a brothel or, in British English, to a bossy girl.
• Rhymes for madam
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old French ma dame, literally meaning "my lady," from Latin mea domina.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.