madam

noun

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mad·am | \ ˈma-dəm

plural madams

Definition of madam

1a plural mesdames\ mā-ˈdäm

, -ˈdam \ : lady —used without a name as a form of respectful or polite address to a woman Right this way, madam.

b Madam —used as a conventional form of address in the salutation of a letter

2 : mistress sense 1 —used as a title formerly with the given name but now with the surname or especially with a designation of rank or office Madam ChairmanMadam President

3 : the female head of a house of prostitution

4 : the female head of a household : wife every once in a while the madam and I will order a book that we've read about— H. S. Truman

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about madam

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Synonyms for madam

Synonyms

helpmate,
helpmeet,
lady,
missus
(or missis),
Mrs.,
old lady,
wife,
wifey,
woman
[chiefly dialect]

Examples of madam in a Sentence

the madam and I are planning to go out for a nice dinner on our anniversary

Recent Examples on the Web Warren Beatty plays McCabe, a drifter and fast-talker who falls in with, and falls in love with, Mrs. Miller (Julie Christie), a madam who offers to improve business at his low-rent brothel. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, "The 50 Greatest Western Movies of All Time," 18 Jan. 2021 Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Esptein’s alleged madam, denies having ever given him a massage with a girl under the age of 18, according to sworn deposition that was released Thursday. — Andrew Boryga, sun-sentinel.com, "Ghislaine Maxwell says she never gave Jeffrey Epstein a massage with any children," 22 Oct. 2020 When the girls arrive via a broker, often for a sum of around $200-300, they are forced to pay off this debt to the madams. — Rebecca Wright, Cnn And Salman Saeed, CNN, "She was tricked as a teen into prostitution. A decade on, she has no work and faces starvation," 26 May 2020 Lou Wooster, in Birmingham, is revered as the madam who saved the city. — John Archibald | Jarchibald@al.com, al, "Cholera heroes (and villains) tell us who we are," 12 Apr. 2020 A few days later, madam speaker attended a dinner party for about 24 people at the home of state arts commission member Stanlee Gatti’s house. — Willie Brown, SFChronicle.com, "Big names, bigger show give 2019 a grand exit in North Beach," 4 Jan. 2020 The two reportedly first met in the late 1990s, introduced by Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite who accusers say was Epstein’s girlfriend and madam. — Karla Adam, Washington Post, "Prince Andrew ‘appalled’ by Epstein reports after footage emerges linking royal with sex offender," 19 Aug. 2019 The most famous and successful prostitute in Anchorage history is Zula Swanson (1891-1973), who transitioned from prostitute to madam to significant landowner during her lengthy stay (1929-1973). — David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, "How South Addition became Anchorage’s first red-light district," 10 Feb. 2020 Ten miles south, off the old Cheyenne–Deadwood stagecoach route, is one of the few monuments in the country that is dedicated to a saloon’s madam. — Jennifer Percy, Harper's magazine, "The Skinning Tree," 20 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'madam.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.