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sir
[sur]
noun
a respectful or formal term of address used to a man.
No, sir.
(initial capital letter)the distinctive title of a knight or baronet.
Sir Walter Scott.
(initial capital letter)a title of respect for some notable personage of ancient times.
Sir Pandarus of Troy.
a lord or gentleman.
noble sirs and ladies.
an ironic or humorous title of respect.
sir critic.
Archaic.a title of respect used before a noun to designate profession, rank, etc..
sir priest; sir clerk.
Sir
1/ ɜː /
noun
a title of honour placed before the name of a knight or baronet
Sir Walter Raleigh
archaica title placed before the name of a figure from ancient history
sir
2/ ɜː /
noun
a formal or polite term of address for a man
archaica gentleman of high social status
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of sir1
Example Sentences
The Oscar winner and the former football England captain are among 19 new sirs, while 21 damehoods have been announced, including singer and actress Elaine Paige and Regeneration novelist Pat Barker.
The officers bent one of Padilla’s arms behind his back and attached a handcuff, then said, “Other hand, sir? Other hand.”
“Certainly a somewhat sharp crisis in your affairs would appear to have been precipitated, sir.”
“I need to buy your car back, sir, and I’m willing to pay substantially more than you paid for it,” Porter quotes the manager as saying.
Martin batted it right back: “I don’t, sir, but I do know that there are 45,000 in America who die waiting because they don’t have insurance at all.”
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Related Words
When To Use
Sir is a respectful form of address for a man or a term for a gentleman. When capitalized, Sir is used as a title for a knight. The word sir has a few other senses as a noun.Sir is a respectful term used to address a man. Sir is especially likely to be used to refer to a person of higher rank or authority. In this sense, sir is the male equivalent of madam or ’a.
- Real-life examples: Waiters or other service workers are very likely to use sir when addressing male customers. Members of the military will refer to superior officers as sir or ’a when not using their title or rank. A person may refer to their boss or manager as sir.
- Used in a sentence: The recruits answered the drill sergeant with a loud “Sir, yes, sir!”
- Used in a sentence: I meant no offense to the good sir or his noble family.
- Real-life examples: Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain were two of the knights who served the legendary King Arthur. Sir Isaac Newton and Sir Walter Raleigh are famous historical figures who were knighted. Sir Sean Connery, Sir Patrick Stewart, and Sir Ian McKellan are three modern actors who were knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
- Used in a sentence: Because Gregory had served Great Britain loyally for over 50 years, he was knighted and became Sir Gregory.
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