Editing Sir

{{short description|Honorific title}}
{{About|the title and honorific}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{use British English|date=August 2016}}
'''''Sir''''' is a formal [[honorific]] address in [[English language|English]] for men, derived from [[Sire]] in the [[High Middle Ages]]. Both are derived from the old French "{{lang|fr|Sieur}}" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part of "{{lang|fr|Monsieur}}", with the equivalent "My Lord" in English.{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}} 

Traditionally, as governed by law and custom, Sir is used for men who are [[knight]]s and belong to certain [[Order of chivalry|orders of chivalry]], as well as later applied to [[baronet]]s and other offices. 

As the female equivalent for knighthood is damehood, the ''[[suo jure]]'' female equivalent term is typically [[Dame]]. The wife of a knight or baronet tends to be addressed as [[Lady]], although a few exceptions and interchanges of these uses exist.

Additionally, since the [[late modern period]], Sir has been used as a respectful way to address a man of superior [[social status]] or [[military rank]]. Equivalent terms of address for women are [[Madam]] (shortened to Ma'am), in addition to social honorifics such as [[Mrs]], [[Ms.|Ms]], or [[Miss]].

==Etymology==
''Sir'' derives from the honorific title ''[[sire]]''; ''sire'' developed alongside the word ''seigneur'', also used to refer to a feudal lord. Both derived from the [[Vulgar Latin]] {{small caps|senior}}, ''sire'' comes from the [[nominative case]] declension {{smallcaps|senior}} and ''seigneur'', the [[accusative case]] declension {{small caps|seniōrem}}.<ref>{{cite book|title=A History of the French Language Through Texts|last=Ayres-Bennet|first=Wendy|year=1996|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=0415099994|section=The 'heyday' of Old French (French in the 12th and 13th centuries)}}</ref>

The form 'Sir' is first documented in [[English language|English]] in 1297, as the title of honour of a knight, and latterly a [[baronet]], being a variant of ''sire'', which was already used in English since at least {{Circa|1205}} (after 139 years of Norman rule) as a title placed before a name and denoting knighthood, and to address the (male) Sovereign since {{Circa|1225}}, with additional general senses of 'father, male parent' is from {{Circa|1250}}, and 'important elderly man' from 1362.

==Entitlement to formal honorific address by region==

===Commonwealth of Nations===
[[File:Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet.jpg|thumb|upright|Sir [[Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet]], whose entitlement to use 'Sir' derived from his position as baronet]]
The prefix is used with the holder's given name or full name, but never with the surname alone. For example, whilst Sir Alexander and Sir [[Alexander Fleming]] would be correct, Sir Fleming would not.<ref name="Debrett's: Knight">{{cite web|url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/knight|title=Knight|access-date=2 February 2015|publisher=Debrett's|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140205112936/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/knight|archive-date=5 February 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Emperor Taisho the Order of the Garter.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Emperor Taishō]], a Stranger Knight of the [[Order of the Garter]], who, as a foreign national, was not entitled to use the prefix 'Sir' (which as a sovereign monarch he would not have used in any case) but was permitted to post-nominally use {{smallcaps|KG}}]]
Today, in the UK and in certain [[Commonwealth realms]], a number of men are entitled to the prefix of 'Sir', including [[knights bachelor]], knights of the [[orders of chivalry]] and [[baronets]]; although foreign nationals can be awarded honorary knighthoods. Honorary knights do not bear the prefix "Sir" nor do they receive an [[accolade]]; instead they use the associated [[post-nominal letters]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.debretts.com/expertise/essential-guide-to-the-peerage/the-knightage/|title=The Knightage |publisher=Debrett's|access-date=10 October 2017|archive-date=19 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019025739/http://www.debretts.com/expertise/essential-guide-to-the-peerage/the-knightage/|url-status=dead }}</ref>

Only citizens of [[Commonwealth realm|Commonwealth realms]] may receive substantive knighthoods and have the privilege of the accompanying style. In general, only knighthoods in dynastic orders – those orders in the personal gift of the Sovereign and Head of the Commonwealth (the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle and the knighthoods in the Royal Victorian Order) – are recognised across the Commonwealth realms, along with their accompanying styles.

British knighthoods (in the Orders of the Bath, St. Michael and St. George, and in the Order of the British Empire, along with Knights Bachelor) were known as ''imperial honours'' during the existence of the [[British Empire]]. Those honours continued to be conferred as substantive, not honorary, awards by most Commonwealth realms into the 1990s. Since then, though former imperial honours are still awarded by certain Commonwealth realms, many of them have discontinued grants of British honours as they have developed their own honours systems, some of which include knighthoods. Today, British honours are only substantive for British nationals so recognised, including dual nationals,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61598 |supp=|page=12364|date=1 June 2016}}</ref> and for nationals of those realms which have retained them as part of their honours systems.

[[Multiple citizenship|Dual national]] recipients of British knighthoods who hold British citizenship, such as academic and immunologist Sir [[John Bell (physician)|John Bell]], are entitled to the style of ''Sir'' as their knighthoods are substantive. This may not necessarily be the case for dual nationals who are not British citizens and who instead hold citizenship of another Commonwealth realm. In 1974, [[Lynden Pindling]], the [[Prime Minister of the Bahamas]], recommended dual Bahamian-American citizen [[Sidney Poitier]] for an honorary knighthood as an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), an imperial honour, as the Bahamas did not have its own honours system at the time. Although Poitier, as a Bahamian citizen by descent, was eligible for a substantive ('ordinary') award of the KBE, the Bahamian government preferred the knighthood to be honorary as Poitier was permanently residing in the United States.<ref>{{cite report |date=1974 |title=Award of Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) to Sidney Poitier, actor and joint United States and Bahamian citizen |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C11245449 |url-access=registration |publisher=UK National Archives |page= |access-date=7 January 2022 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205011124/https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C11245449 |url-status=live }}</ref> Knighthoods in the gift of the government of a Commonwealth realm only permit the bearer to use his style within that country or as its official representative, provided he is a national of that country; knighthoods granted by other realms may be considered foreign honours.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-04-13/33931/| title = Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament}}</ref> For instance, [[Anthony Bailey (PR advisor)|Anthony Bailey]] was reprimanded by Buckingham Palace and the British government in 2016 for asserting that an honorary Antiguan knighthood (which was revoked in 2017) allowed him the style of 'Sir' in the UK.<ref>"Something of the Knight...", ''[[Private Eye (magazine)|Private Eye]]'', no, 1420, 10 June 2016</ref>

The equivalent for a female who holds a knighthood or baronetcy in her own right is '[[Dame (title)|Dame]]', and follows the same usage customs as 'Sir'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/baronet/baronetess|title=Baronetess|publisher=[[Debrett's]]|access-date=2 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204031739/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/baronet/baronetess|archive-date=4 February 2014}}</ref> Although this form was previously also used for the wives of knights and baronets, it is now customary to refer to them as 'Lady', followed by their surname; they are never addressed using their full names. For example, while Lady Fiennes is correct, Lady Virginia and Lady Virginia Fiennes are not.<ref>{{cite web|title=Family of a Baronet|publisher=Debrett's|url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/baronet/family-baronet|access-date=2 February 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315235601/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/baronet/family-baronet|archive-date=15 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Debrett's: Wife of a Knight">{{cite web|title=Wife of a Knight|url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/knight/wife-knight|publisher=Debrett's|access-date=2 February 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221194925/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/knight/wife-knight|archive-date=21 February 2015}}</ref> The widows of knights retain the style of wives of knights,<ref name="Debrett's: Wife of a Knight"/> however widows of baronets are either referred to as 'dowager', or use their forename before their courtesy style. For example, the widow of Sir [[Troubridge baronets|Thomas Herbert Cochrane Troubridge, 4th Baronet]], would either be known as ''Dowager Lady Troubridge'' or ''Laura, Lady Troubridge''.<ref name="Debrett's: Wife of a Baronet">{{cite web|publisher=Debrett's|title=Wife of a Baronet|url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/baronet/widow-and-former-wife-baronet|access-date=2 February 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316013044/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/baronet/widow-and-former-wife-baronet|archive-date=16 March 2015}}</ref>

====Barbados====
Prior to [[Republicanism in Barbados|becoming a republic]] in November 2021, Barbados awarded the title [[Knight or Dame of St. Andrew (Barbados)|Knight or Dame of St. Andrew]] within the [[Order of Barbados]]. This practice has now been discontinued, though individuals who received a knighthood or damehood when the country was still a [[Commonwealth realm]] may continue to use the titles "Sir" and "Dame" within their lifetimes. 

====Commonwealth realms====
* Knight Commander or Knight Grand Cross of the [[Royal Victorian Order]] (KCVO/GCVO)<ref name="Debrett's: Knight"/><ref name=RVOBP>{{Cite web| url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Honours/RoyalVictorianOrder.aspx| last=Royal Household| title=The Queen and the UK > Queen and Honours > Royal Victorian Order| publisher=Queen's Printer| access-date=17 February 2019| archive-date=19 July 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090719073143/http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Honours/RoyalVictorianOrder.aspx| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="personal" group="note">In the personal gift of the Sovereign and Head of the Commonwealth.</ref>

=====United Kingdom=====
* [[Baronet]] (Bt.)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/baronet|title=Baronet|access-date=3 February 2015|publisher=Debrett's|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219082319/http://www.debretts.com/forms-address/titles/baronet|archive-date=19 February 2015}}</ref>
* Knight of the [[Order of the Garter]] (KG)<ref name="Debrett's: Knight"/><ref name="personal" group="note">In the personal gift of the Sovereign and Head of the Commonwealth.</ref>
* Knight of the [[Order of the Thistle]] (KT)<ref name="Debrett's: Knight"/><ref name="personal" group="note">In the personal gift of the Sovereign and Head of the Commonwealth.</ref>
* Knight Commander or Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Bath]] (KCB/GCB)<ref name="Debrett's: Knight"/>
* Knight Commander or Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of St Michael and St George]] (KCMG/GCMG)<ref name="Debrett's: Knight"/>
* Knight Commander or Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (KBE/GBE)<ref name="Debrett's: Knight"/>
* [[Knight Bachelor]]<ref name="Debrett's: Knight"/>

=====Antigua and Barbuda=====
* Knight of the [[Order of the National Hero (Antigua and Barbuda)|Order of the National Hero]] (KNH)
* Knight Commander, Knight Grand Cross, or Knight Grand Collar of the [[Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda)|Order of the Nation]] (KCN/KGCN/KGN)

=====Australia=====
* Knight of the [[Order of Australia]] (AK; discontinued 1986–2014, reintroduced briefly in 2014, again discontinued in 2015)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/awards/medals/knight_dame_order_of_australia.cfm|publisher=[[Australian Government]]|access-date=3 February 2014|title=Knight /Dame of the Order of Australia|archive-date=17 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717182706/http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/awards/medals/knight_dame_order_of_australia.cfm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-34695549|publisher=BBC|date=1 November 2015|access-date=1 November 2015|title=Australia PM Malcolm Turnbull drops knights and dames from honours system|archive-date=2 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102173101/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-34695549|url-status=live}}</ref>

=====Grenada=====
* Knight Commander, Knight Grand Cross, or Knight Grand Collar of the [[Order of the Nation (Grenada)|Order of the Nation]] within in the [[Order of Grenada]] (KCNG/GCNG/KN)

=====New Zealand=====
* Knight Companion or Knight Grand Companion of the [[New Zealand Order of Merit]] (KNZM/GNZM)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/category/b/b4.html|title=New Zealand State Honours - The New Zealand Order of Merit|publisher=[[New Zealand Defence Force]]|access-date=3 February 2015|archive-date=14 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114045528/http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/category/b/b4.html|url-status=dead }}</ref>

=====Saint Lucia=====
* Knight Commander of the [[Order of Saint Lucia]] (KCSL)

====India====
[[Image:King Of Travancore sct.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma]] was the last surviving Knight Grand Commander of the [[Order of the Star of India]].]]

As part of the consolidation of the [[British Raj|crown colony of India]], the [[Order of the Star of India]] was established in 1861 to reward prominent British and Indian civil servants, military officers and prominent Indians associated with the Indian Empire. The [[Order of the Indian Empire]] was established in 1878 as a junior-level order to accompany the Order of the Star of India, and to recognise long service.

From 1861 to 1866, the Order of the Star of India had a single class of Knights (KSI), who were entitled to the style of 'Sir'. In 1866, the order was reclassified into three divisions: Knights Grand Commander (GCSI), Knights Commander (KCSI) and Companions (CSI); holders of the upper two degrees could use the title 'Sir'. From its creation in 1878 until 1887, the Order of the Indian Empire had a single class, Companion (CIE), which did not entitle the recipient to a style of knighthood.

In 1887, two higher divisions, Knight Grand Commander (GCIE) and Knight Commander (KCIE) were created, which entitled holders of those ranks to the style of 'Sir'. The last creations of knights of either order were made on 15 August 1947 upon Indian independence. All British honours and their accompanying styles were officially made obsolete in India when the [[Dominion of India]] became a modern [[republic in the Commonwealth of Nations]] in 1950, followed by [[Islamic Republic of Pakistan]] in 1956.

The Order of the Star of India became dormant in the Commonwealth realms from February 2009, and the Order of the Indian Empire after August 2010, when the last knights of the orders died.

==== Nigeria ====
In [[Nigeria]], holders of religious [[Order (distinction)|honours]] like the [[Knighthood of St. Gregory]] make use of the word as a pre-nominal honorific in much the same way as it is used for secular purposes in Britain and the Philippines. Wives of such individuals also typically assume the title of Lady.

=== Non-Commonwealth Countries ===

=== Holy See ===
Knights and Dames of [[Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See|papal orders]] may elect the "Sir" or "Dame" prefix{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} with post-nominal letters, subject to the laws and conventions of the country they are in. The [[Pope]], the [[sovereign]] of the [[Catholic Church]] and [[Vatican City]], delegates the awarding [[Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See|orders of knighthood]] to [[Bishop in the Catholic Church|bishops]] and [[Grand master (order)|Grand Masters]]. Their precedence is as follows:

* [[Supreme Order of Christ]] (Vacant)
* [[Order of the Golden Spur]] (Vacant)
* [[Order of Pope Pius IX]]
* [[Order of St. Gregory the Great]]
* [[Order of St. Sylvester]]
* [[Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic)|Order of the Holy Sepulchre]]
* [[Sovereign Military Order of Malta]]

For Example, [[Burton P. C. Hall|Sir Burton P. C. Hall]], [[Order of St. Sylvester|KSS]], [[Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic)|KCHS]] would be the correct style for lay knights.

Lieutenants of the [[Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic)|Order of the Holy Sepulchre]], are styled as "Your Excellency", such as H.E. Dame Trudy Comeau, [[Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic)|DC*HS]].

Catholic clergy who are invested as Knight Chaplains may use post-nominal letters, but must retain their clerical titles, like [[Robert Skeris|Rev. Robert Skeris]], [[Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic)|KCHS]].

Knights and Dames of [[Orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See|papal orders]] are not allowed to use the prefix "Sir" or "Dame" in the United Kingdom, although they may use post-nominal letters. Not allowing the prefix is because the use of foreign titles is not permitted by the British Crown without a Royal Licence, and as a matter of policy (currently based on a Royal Warrant of 27 April 1932), a Royal Licence to bear any foreign title is never granted. On the other hand, allowing the post-nominal letters would be explained by the highest and lowest dignities being universal, a king was recognized as king everywhere, and also a knight: "though a Knight receive his Dignity of a Foreign Prince, he is so to be stiled in all Legal Proceedings within England .. and Knights in all Foreign Countries have ever place and precedency according to their Seniority of being Knighted" <ref>{{cite web |last1=Velde |first1=Francois |title=Foreign Titles in the UK |url=https://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/foreigntitles.htm |website=Heraldica |access-date=24 November 2020 |archive-date=5 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305213459/https://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/foreigntitles.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Ireland===
Established in 1783 and primarily awarded to men associated with the [[Kingdom of Ireland]], Knights of the [[Order of St. Patrick]] were entitled to the style of 'Sir'.  Regular creation of new knights of the order ended in 1921 upon the formation of the [[Irish Free State]]. With the death of the last knight in 1974, the Order became dormant.
[[File:Knights of Rizal Centennial Stamp 2016.jpg|thumb|Centennial stamp celebrating the Knights of Rizal released by [[PhilPost]] with a profile of [[José Rizal|Jose Rizal]] and the badge of the Order visible.]]

=== Philippines ===
[[Knights of Rizal]] (''Orden de Caballeros de Rizál'') is the sole [[Order of chivalry|order of knighthood]] of the Philippines currently constituted by legislative charter<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 14, 1951 |title=Republic Act No. 646 |url=http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1951/06/14/republic-act-no-646/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206203422/http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1951/06/14/republic-act-no-646/ |archive-date=6 December 2017 |access-date=2017-12-06 |work=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines}}</ref> and recognized by the [[Orders, decorations, and medals of the Philippines]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 17, 2011 |title=Speech of President Aquino at the International Assembly and Conference of Rizal |url=http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2011/02/17/speech-of-president-aquino-at-the-international-assembly-and-conference-of-rizal-february-17-2011/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206202952/http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2011/02/17/speech-of-president-aquino-at-the-international-assembly-and-conference-of-rizal-february-17-2011/ |archive-date=6 December 2017 |access-date=2017-12-06 |work=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines}}</ref> 

Knights are entitled to prefix ''Sir'' to their first names while their wives prefix ''Lady'' to their first names. These apply to both spoken and written forms of address. Knights may also append the relevant post-nominal of their rank to the end of their names: Knight of Rizal (KR), Knight Officer of Rizal (KOR), Knight Commander of Rizal (KCR), Knight Grand Officer of Rizal (KGOR) and Knight Grand Cross of Rizal (KGCR). Knighthood may be conferred to both citizens and noncitizens of the Philippines. All knighthoods are substantive and the honorific may be used by all knights of the Order.

Notable members of the Order include [[Juan Carlos I of Spain|King Juan Carlos I of Spain]] who was conferred a Knight Grand Cross of Rizal on 11 February 1998, [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winner and former [[United States Secretary of State|US Secretary of State]] Sir [[Henry Kissinger]], former [[President of the Philippines|Philippine President]] Sir [[Benigno Aquino III]], and former [[Chief Justice of the Philippines|Chief Justice]] of the [[Supreme Court of the Philippines]] and drafter of the [[1987 Philippine Constitution|1987 Philippine constitution]] The Honorable Sir [[Hilario Davide Jr.|Hilario Davide, Jr.]] 

===Combinations with other titles and styles===
====Military====
In the case of a military officer who is also a knight, the appropriate form of address puts the professional military rank first, then the correct manner of address for the individual, then his name. Examples include:
* [[Admiral of the Fleet (United Kingdom)|Admiral of the Fleet]] [[Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape|Sir Bruce Fraser]], [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath|GCB]], [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire|KBE]] (after 1941)<ref>{{cite web |url-status=dead |website=Royal Navy Flag Officers, 1904–1945 |url=http://www.admirals.org.uk/admirals/fleet/fraserba.php |title=Admiral of the Fleet Sir Bruce Austin Fraser |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426053222/http://admirals.org.uk/admirals/fleet/fraserba.php |archive-date=Apr 26, 2009 |date=Oct 18, 2007 }}</ref>
* [[Field Marshal (Australia)|Field Marshal]] [[Thomas Blamey|Sir Thomas Blamey]], [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire|GBE]], [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath|KCB]], [[Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George|CMG]], [[Companion of the Distinguished Service Order|DSO]], [[Efficiency Decoration|ED]] (after 1941)<ref>Australian Dictionary of Biography: [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130231b.htm Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080728173006/http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A130231b.htm |date=28 July 2008 }}, adb.online.anu.edu.au</ref>

====Academic====
This is also the case with academic ranks and titles, such as '[[Professor]]'. For example, [[Patrick Bateson]] was both a professor<ref group="note">Note a difference in usage between British and US usage. A Professor in the UK is only used for the highest academic rank. See [[List of words having different meanings in American and British English (M–Z)#P|a summary here]].</ref> and a knight bachelor; his correct title would be Professor Sir Patrick Bateson. However, the title of '[[Doctor (title)|Doctor]]' (Dr.) is not used in combination with 'Sir', with the knighthood taking precedence. Knighted doctors are addressed as knights, though they may still use any post-nominal letters associated with their degrees.

====Ecclesiastical====
[[Church of England]] clergy who receive knighthoods following their ordination do not receive an accolade and therefore do not use the title 'Sir', but instead refer to their knighthood using post-nominal letters.<ref name="Debrett's: Knight"/> For example, the Reverend [[John Polkinghorne]], [[Order of the British Empire|KBE]] would never be referred to as ''Sir John Polkinghorne''. If however an Anglican clergyman inherits a baronetcy or was knighted before his ordination, he will retain his style and title.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.crockford.org.uk/faq/how-to-address-the-clergy |title=How to Address the Clergy|website=Crockford.org |publisher=Crockford's Clerical Directory & the Church of England Year Book |access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref> For instance, Sir [[Nicholas Beatson-Bell]] [[Order of the Star of India|KCSI]], [[Order of the Indian Empire|KCIE]], who was a knighted [[Indian Civil Service]] officer and imperial administrator before entering the ministry, added the style of ''The Reverend'' to his secular honorific of ''Sir'', thus becoming the Revd. Sir Nicholas Beatson-Bell KCSI, KCIE. Clergy of other denominations may use different conventions.<ref name="Debrett's: Knight"/> 

====Peers and nobility====
Peers who have been knighted are neither styled as 'Sir' nor addressed as such in the formal sense of the style, as their titles of nobility take precedence. The same principle applies for the male [[heir apparent]] to a [[Duchy|dukedom]], [[marquessate]] or [[earldom]], his eldest legitimate son (if he is the heir to a dukedom or marquessate with additional subsidiary peerages), and for the legitimate male issue of a duke or a marquess, who are styled 'Lord' followed by their first name. For instance, diplomat Lord [[Nicholas Gordon-Lennox]], KCMG, KCVO, who was a younger son of the [[Duke of Richmond]], continued to be styled as 'Lord Nicholas' following his knighthood in 1986, not 'Lord Sir Nicholas'. Other male heirs of an earl who lack [[courtesy title]]s, and the male heirs of a viscount or baron, do however use the style of 'Sir' if knighted, the style following that of '[[The Hon]]', for example The Honourable Sir [[Charles Algernon Parsons]], OM, KCB, FRS.

==Educational, military and other usage==

===Education system===
'Sir', along with 'Miss' for women, is commonly used in the British school system to address teachers and other members of staff.  Usage of these terms is considered a mark of respect, and can be dated back to the 16th century. The practice may have been an attempt to reinforce the authority of teachers from lower social classes among classes of largely upper class students.<ref name="The Telegraph">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10827710/Stop-calling-teachers-Miss-or-Sir-pupils-are-told.html|title=Stop calling teachers 'Miss' or 'Sir', pupils are told|publisher=[[Telegraph Media Group|The Telegraph]]|date=13 May 2014|last=Paton|first=Graeme|access-date=4 February 2014|archive-date=20 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320054122/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10827710/Stop-calling-teachers-Miss-or-Sir-pupils-are-told.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Jennifer Coates, [[emeritus professor]] of English language and linguistics at [[Roehampton University]], has criticised the use of the title for male teachers, saying that {{" '}}Sir' is a knight. There weren't women knights, but 'Miss' is ridiculous: it doesn't match 'Sir' at all. It's just one of the names you can call an unmarried woman", and that "It's a depressing example of how women are given low status and men, no matter how young or new in the job they are, are given high status".<ref name="The Telegraph"/> This view is not unchallenged, however. The chief executive of the Brook Learning Trust, Debbie Coslett, said "... they call me 'Miss', I'm fine with that. They're showing respect by giving me a title rather than 'hey' or 'oi, you' or whatever", and dismissed the male/female issue as "just the way the English language works".<ref name="The Telegraph"/>

In the [[Southern United States]], the term 'sir' is often used to address someone in a position of authority or respect, and is commonly used in schools and universities by students to address their teachers and professors. Whereas the British and Commonwealth female equivalent is ''Miss'', students will often refer to female teachers as ''Ma'am''.<ref name="Teachers">{{cite book|title=Understanding English Language Variation in U.S. Schools|last1=Hudley|last2=Mallinson|first1=Anne|first2=Christine|section=A Regional and Cultural Variety|year=2011|publisher=Teachers College Press|location=New York, US|isbn=9780807751480}}</ref>

In the [[Northeast United States]], particularly [[New England]], there remains influence of both the British and French traditions as noted above; in general parlance, teachers, authority-figures, and so forth, are referred to by a title of respect such as 'Sir' for males and 'Miss', '[[Ms.|Ms]]', or 'Mrs' for females: 'Miss' for unmarried, younger females; 'Ms' for senior, elder, or ranking females that may or may not be married; and 'Mrs' for married or widowed females.

===Military and police===
If not specifically using their rank or title, 'sir' is used in the [[United States Armed Forces]] to address a male commissioned officer.  Lower-ranking and [[non-commissioned officer]]s, such as corporals or sergeants, are addressed using their ranks,<ref>{{cite book|title=NCO Guide|page=328|edition=9th|last=Rush|first=Robert S.|year=2010|publisher=Stackpole Book|location=PA, US|isbn=9780811736145}}</ref> though in some of the branches (to be precise, in the Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard), "sir" can also be used to address a drill instructor although he is an NCO.

In the [[British Armed Forces]], male commissioned officers and [[warrant officers]] are addressed as 'sir' by all ranks junior to them, male warrant officers are addressed as ''Mr'' by commissioned officers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/links/faqs.cfm|publisher=RAF|title=Frequently Asked Questions|access-date=4 February 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502065436/http://www.raf.mod.uk/links/faqs.cfm|archive-date=2 May 2010}}</ref>

In the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] (RCMP), only [[commissioned officers]] are addressed as 'sir'; NCOs and [[constables]] are addressed by their rank.  Male [[British police]] officers of the rank of [[Inspector]] or above are addressed as 'Sir' (women of inspecting rank are called Ma'am).{{citation needed|date=April 2013}}

In the [[Hong Kong Police Force]], male superiors are respectfully known by their surname followed by 'sir'. For example, Inspector Wong would be addressed or referred to as 'Wong-sir'. Male police officers are sometimes known colloquially as "Ah-sir" (阿Sir) to the wider public.<ref>{{cite book|title=Urbanizing China|year=1992|page=171|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|first=Gregory Eliyu|last=Guldin}}</ref>

===Service industry===
The term 'Sir' is also used frequently in the customer service industry, by employees to refer to customers, and sometimes vice versa. In the United States, it is much more common in certain areas (even when addressing male peers or men considerably younger). For example, a 1980 study showed that 80% of service interactions in the South were accompanied by 'Sir' or ''Ma'am'', in comparison to the Northern United States, where 'Sir' was only used 25% of the time.<ref name="Teachers"/>

'Sir', in conjunction with 'Ma'am' or 'Madam', is also commonly used in the [[Philippines]] and [[South Asia]], not only to address customers and vice versa, but also to address people of a higher social rank or age.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holtzapple |first1=Katarina |title=A Conversation about "Ma'am/Sir" |url=https://www.thegazelle.org/issue/153/opinion/a-conversation-about-maam-sir |access-date=8 October 2020 |work=The Gazelle |date=3 March 2019 |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009051656/https://www.thegazelle.org/issue/153/opinion/a-conversation-about-maam-sir |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Orante |first1=Bea |title=Netizens react: Is it time to let go of 'Ma'am, Sir'? |url=https://www.rappler.com/moveph/advocacies/102537-netizen-reactions-maam-sir-philippines/ |work=Rappler |date=14 August 2015 |access-date=8 October 2020 |archive-date=26 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210926213413/https://amp.rappler.com/move-ph/balikbayan/identity/102537-netizen-reactions-maam-sir-philippines |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Estrada-Claudio |first1=Sylvia |title=Don't call me Madam |date=13 January 2014 |url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/dont-call-me-madam |publisher=Rappler |access-date=8 October 2020 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108134647/http://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/dont-call-me-madam |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Bob |title=Philippine Society can be very formal |url=https://liveinthephilippines.com/philippine-societ-can-be-very-formal/ |website=Live In The Philippines |date=9 July 2007 |access-date=8 October 2020 |archive-date=12 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012025735/https://liveinthephilippines.com/philippine-societ-can-be-very-formal/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Use in popular media ==
{{Irrelevant section}}
In the series [[Star Trek]] and [[The Orville]], characters use 'Sir' as a gender-neutral term to address superior ranking officers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rahman |first1=Ray |title=The Orville: Seth MacFarlane discusses sci-fi, spaceships, and politics |url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/09/10/seth-macfarlane-orville-interview-sci-fi-spaceships-politics/ |website=Entertainment |date=10 September 2017 |access-date=17 April 2022 |archive-date=17 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417194859/https://ew.com/tv/2017/09/10/seth-macfarlane-orville-interview-sci-fi-spaceships-politics/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Honorific]]
*[[Style (manner of address)]]
*[[Knight]]
**[[Order of chivalry]]
**[[Knight Bachelor]]
*[[Salutation]]
*[[Canadian titles debate]]
*[[Shri]], [[Sriman]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|sir}}
* [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sir Sir] – Online Etymology Dictionary

{{Social titles}}

[[Category:Styles (forms of address)]]
[[Category:Men's social titles]]
[[Category:Noble titles]]
[[Category:Knights]]
[[Category:Chivalry]]
[[Category:British knights| ]]
[[Category:Baronets| ]]
[[Category:British honours system]]