1
a
: a man entitled to be addressed as sir
—used as a title before the given name of a knight or baronet and formerly sometimes before the given name of a priest
b
: a man of rank or position
2
a
—used as a usually respectful form of address
b
capitalized
—used as a conventional form of address in the salutation of a letter
Examples of sir in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Apes and apes’ toes, yes, sir … See, this isn’t your standard ape, sir.
—
Matt Schudel, Washington Post, 18 July 2024
Saying ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir’ also makes assumptions about someone’s gender.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 18 July 2024
But she’s made of iron, sir, and no matter how much Biden and his supporters work those pumps — and this press conference is one of those pumps — this ship will founder.)
20 Minutes Before Presser: Biden is currently at the NATO summit where the press conference will be held.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 July 2024
Thank [you[ kind sir for being a light to the world.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for sir 
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Matt Schudel, Washington Post, 18 July 2024
Saying ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir’ also makes assumptions about someone’s gender.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 18 July 2024
But she’s made of iron, sir, and no matter how much Biden and his supporters work those pumps — and this press conference is one of those pumps — this ship will founder.)
20 Minutes Before Presser: Biden is currently at the NATO summit where the press conference will be held.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 July 2024
Thank [you[ kind sir for being a light to the world.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for sir
Dictionary Entries Near sir
Cite this Entry
“Sir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sir. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sir
noun1
: a man having the right to be addressed as sir
—used as a title before the given name of a knight or baronet
2
: a title of respect used in addressing a man without using his name
Etymology
Middle English sir "a man of rank or position," from sire "a father," from early French sire "lord, superior," from Latin senior (adjective) "older, elder" — related to senior
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