Definition of madam in English:

madam

Translate madam into Spanish

noun

1Used to address or refer to a woman in a polite or respectful way.
‘Can I help you, madam?’
- ‘After she was through, Vidal replied simply and tersely, ‘Are you running for office, madam?’’
- ‘‘Erm, I'm sorry, madam, but do you have a picture of what you want? ‘she asked tentatively.’’
- ‘Tailored styles are already available in mainstream stores such as Marks & Spencer, Next and Debenhams, so it shouldn't be hard to find an outfit that suits you, madam.’
- ‘Thank you, sir, and thank you, madam, for your attendance.’
- ‘‘The cabins are small, madam,’ Edmund answered politely.’
- ‘‘I'm sure that she appreciates your kindness, madam,’ Legacy said politely.’
- ‘‘Is it time to prepare for supper, madam?’ the heavy Greek accent said, more a statement than a question.’
- ‘He bowed deeply and said, ‘Please excuse my rudeness, madam.’’
- ‘I must confess, madam, that I have never been too fond of the countryside.’
- ‘I am afraid, madam, that his grace will not be able to see you today.’
- ‘Should we not be returning back to the manor by now, madam?’
- ‘Perhaps it will ease Eleanor's leaving if I were to give this to you, madam.’
- ‘I mean no offense, madam, but it is obvious from your speech patterns that you were not born in this country.’
- ‘You're well informed, madam, I must say, for living in such a remote location as you do.’
- ‘‘Breakfast is served, madam,’ he said, as Alora gazed at the large plate before her, accompanied by the tall glass of orange juice which Alora liked to drink each morning.’
- ‘I summoned the English accent my mother used, and said softly, ‘I'm sorry, madam.’’
- ‘My request to you, madam, is for your office to empower more people like myself to assist the needy and to make resources available, and perhaps consider establishing a community-based centre that will assist our communities.’
- ‘And how can I be of service to this fine young madam?’
- ‘As you can see madam, this is a very desirable terraced property close to all local amenities.’
- ‘"As you please, madam, " said the man who had saved us.’
1. 1.1Used to address a woman at the start of a formal or business letter.
  ‘Dear Madam, …’
  ‘If you are told to address her as ‘Dear Madam’ the ending must be ‘Yours faithfully’.’
  ‘Dear Madam I have your note, but do not think I can undertake more than I originally promised, to give some informal talk about the value of the Greek Language & Literature, as objects of study, especially with reference to Mr. Evrett's absurd remark.’
2. 1.2Used before a title to address or refer to a female holder of that position.
  ‘Madam President’
  ‘Madam Speaker: Please allow the member to complete his answer in silence.’
  ‘Madam Speaker, we are a city that cares about its future.’
  ‘Madam Secretary, I'll start with you.’
  ‘Madam President, this is a question of logistics.’
  ‘Geena Davis, who plays President Allen on ‘Commander in Chief,’ says the country is ready for a Madam President.’
3. 1.3A woman who runs a brothel.
  ‘The 45-year-old mother of four is a millionaire entrepreneur who made her fortune as a brothel madam on the Kalgoorlie goldfields.’
  ‘If you like I could always send a note to Eileen, the madam of the brothel, getting her to collaborate my story.’
  ‘Then there are the traffickers in the destination countries - the madams of the brothels, and the middlemen involved in the provision of labour.’
  ‘Her chance came in this 15 th-century tragicomedy by Fernando de Rojas about a madam at a brothel who agrees to help a nobleman seduce a young virgin.’
  ‘Forget for a moment the season's immoral spending and hear the tale of the Edinburgh madam whose brothel was a thorn in the side of the residents of upmarket Stockbridge.’
  ‘Her researches lead her to a Viennese brothel where the aged madam reveals the secret of the painting.’
  ‘Some forms of disorder became more discreet, as law enforcers concentrated brothels in red-light districts and compelled madams to shield prostitution from public view.’
  ‘Here was 944 Twiggs Street, the former brothel where he lived with his Aunt Honey, the madam - now abandoned and bristling with weeds.’
  ‘His tales of corrupt politicians, red-light madams and greedy businessmen may have offended civic leaders in 1951, but the book became an instant classic and is still in print today.’
  ‘The world's first publicly listed brothel was launched by former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss at the Melbourne Stock Exchange on Thursday with investors scrambling to buy shares.’
  ‘Ignorant of the law, Mona, Stella, Adelaide, and countless other honorable young women feared prosecution for money owed and futilely sought to repay their madams through prostitution.’
  ‘Continuing to demand a percentage from madams within the new districts, grafting officials increased the protection fees for brothels operating outside of the district's limits.’
  ‘In addition to good managerial skills, a successful madam needed the cooperation of the police and other local authorities.’
  ‘She was forced to work as a prostitute for one and a half years, and her madam demanded she hand over all her earnings.’
  ‘Yet again, there is little evidence to support this claim and much to suggest that Mitchell actually based the character on a madam from her husband's hometown of Lexington, Kentucky.’
  ‘As prostitution frequently involves an economically exploitative relationship with a pimp or a madam, young girls are at even higher risk of abuse and exploitation than their older counterparts.’
  ‘A few years ago I became a madam, running a string of girls of my own.’
  ‘When I was a Hollywood madam, I had between 20 and 70 girls working for me and once made $97,000 in a single day on commissions.’
  ‘We crept into an antechamber lined with red velvet and faced a woman who appeared the archetypical brothel madam.’
  procurer, procuress