What does madam mean?

Definitions for madam
ˈmæd əm; meɪˈdæm, -ˈdɑmmadam

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word madam.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. dame, madam, ma'am, lady, gentlewomannoun

    a woman of refinement

    "a chauffeur opened the door of the limousine for the grand lady"

  2. madam, brothel keepernoun

    a woman who runs a house of prostitution

GCIDE

  1. Madamnoun

    The woman who is in charge of a household.

  2. Madamnoun

    The woman who is in charge of a brothel.

Wiktionary

  1. madamnoun

    A polite form of address for a woman or lady.

  2. madamnoun

    The mistress of a household.

  3. madamnoun

    A conceited or quarrelsome girl.

    Selina kept pushing and shoving during musical chairs. The nursery school teacher said she was a bad-tempered little madam.

  4. madamnoun

    A woman who runs a brothel.

    When she was getting too old to work as a prostitute she became a madam.

  5. Etymology: From madame, from ma ‘my’ + dame ‘lady’, from post-classical Latin mea domina.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Madamnoun

    The term of compliment used in address to ladies of every degree.

    Etymology: ma dame, French, my dame.

    Certes, madam, ye have great cause of plaint. Edmund Spenser.

    Madam, once more you look and move a queen! Ambrose Philips, Distrest Mother.

Wikipedia

  1. Madam

    Madam (), or madame ( or ), is a polite and formal form of address for women in the English language, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced in American English and this way but also in British English). The term derives from the French madame, from "ma dame" meaning "my lady". In French, the abbreviation is "Mme" or "Mme" and the plural is mesdames (abbreviated "Mmes" or "Mmes"). These terms ultimately derive from the Latin domina, meaning "mistress."

ChatGPT

  1. madam

    A madam is a formal and polite term used to address or refer to a woman. It is often used to show respect or to acknowledge a woman's higher social status, particularly in professional settings. In some contexts, it may also refer to a woman who manages a brothel. The term originated from the French term "madame", which means "my lady".

Webster Dictionary

  1. Madamnoun

    a gentlewoman; -- an appellation or courteous form of address given to a lady, especially an elderly or a married lady; -- much used in the address, at the beginning of a letter, to a woman. The corresponding word in addressing a man is Sir

  2. Etymology: [See Madame.]

Wikidata

  1. Madam

    Madam, or madame, is a polite form of address for women, often contracted to "ma'am". The abbreviation is "Mme" and the plural is mesdames. The term was borrowed from the French madame, which means "my lady".

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Madam

    mad′am, n. a courteous form of address to a lady, esp. an elderly or a married one: a woman of fashion:—pl. Mad′ams, or Mesdames (mā-dam′). [Fr.,—ma, my, dame, lady—L. mea domina.]

Etymology and Origins

  1. Madam

    In New England the term applied to the deceased wife of a person of local distinction, such as the parson, doctor, etc. In the southern states it expresses the mistress or master’s wife universally among the Negroes. Elsewhere it is either Madam or Ma’am for a mother.

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'madam' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2863

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce madam?

How to say madam in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of madam in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of madam in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of madam in a Sentence

  1. Benito Mussolini:

    Yes, madam, I am finished. My star has fallen. I work and I try, yet know that all is but a farce.... I await the end of the tragedy and – strangely detached from everything – I do not feel any more an actor. I feel I am the last of spectators.

  2. Bernie Sanders:

    Madam Secretary, that is a low blow.

  3. Marsha Blackburn:

    But if she had brought up policies, I would’ve loved to have said, ‘Madam Vice President, you need to get to the border. You need to talk to the Border Patrol,'.

  4. Charlotte Brontë:

    Consistency, madam, is the first of Christian duties.

  5. Alfred Jarry:

    You're looking exceptionally ugly tonight, Madam, is it because we have company?

Popularity rank by frequency of use

madam#10000#17403#100000

Translations for madam

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"madam." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/madam>.

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