thumb | alt=Elisabeth de Meuron, or known as Madame de Meuron | [[Louise Elisabeth de Meuron was commonly known as Madame de Meuron.]]
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). The term derives from the French , from "" meaning "my lady". In French, the abbreviation is "" or "" and the plural is (abbreviated "" or ""). These terms ultimately derive from the Latin , meaning "mistress".
Use as a form of address
Formal protocol
After addressing her as "Your Majesty" once, it is correct to address the Queen of the United Kingdom as "Ma'am" with the British short pronunciation (rhyming with "jam") for the remainder of a conversation. A letter to the Queen may begin with Madam or May it please Your Majesty. Other female members of the British royal family are usually addressed in conversation first as Your Royal Highness and subsequently as Ma'am. Madam Secretary is a formal form of address for a female member of the United States Cabinet; a female Attorney General of the United States is formally addressed Madam Attorney General. Madam Speaker is a correct form of address for a female speaker of the United States House of Representatives (e.g. Nancy Pelosi), British House of Commons (e.g. Betty Boothroyd), Canadian House of Commons, Plaques on chamber doorways reading "Mr. Justice" were removed after Sandra Day O'Connor joined the court in 1981. Female members of state supreme courts were previously sometimes styled as Madam Justice, matching the Mr. Justice formally used. Justice Rosemary Barkett of the Florida Supreme Court disliked the title, since she was unmarried, and announced that she would simply be called Justice Barkett, leading all the male justices to drop Mr. from their forms of address.
In Canada, the appellation Mr./Madam Prime Minister and Mr./Madam Minister is "often heard informally" for prime ministers and other ministers The same style is used for other female members of the Canadian federal courts. A female judge of the District Court may be addressed in writing as Dear Judge or Dear Madam, while a female judge of the High Court may be addressed as Dear Madam or Dear Dame (first name) or Dear Judge. This is the case in French-speaking countries, The term is "meant to convey respect and graciousness lightly salted with deference."
There are regional differences in use; in the United States, ma'am is more commonly heard in the South and Midwest and less common on the East and West Coasts. The word is also used by junior personnel to address female superiors in the British Armed Forces.
The use of sir and ma'am as forms of address for superiors are common in the United States armed forces. U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force regulations state that ma'am is an appropriate greeting for junior personnel when rendering a hand salute to a female superior. The use of formal modes of address such as sir or ma'am, ingrained in military culture, is distinct from the American corporate or civilian setting, where most co-workers refer to each other by first name and use of formal titles is considered awkward. A 2017 U.S. Army Human Resources Command publication noted that in the Northern United States, "it is common to hear young to middle-aged women say, 'Don't call me ma'am,' as it is seen as a title reserved for older women."
Use in non-native English-speaking societies
The title Madame is commonly used in English for French-speaking women, e.g. "President and Madame De Gaulle."
The terms Madame Mao and Madame Chiang Kai-shek were frequently used in English to refer to Jiang Qing (the wife of Mao Zedong) and Soong Mei-ling (the wife of Chiang Kai-shek), respectively; Madame approximated the Chinese respectful forms of address.