2 Ngrams only show the usage in literature - which can be a bit selective. Ma'am is used where you would use 'sir',for senior officer ranks, in the British police and armed forces. Not sure what you would call a knighted owner of a brothel in BE - possibly " Madam ma'am " ? The meaning of MA'AM is madam —used without a name as a form of respectful or polite address to a woman. How to use ma'am in a sentence. Ma’am vs. Lady The terms “ ma’am ” and “lady” are both polite forms of address for women, but they are used in different contexts and can convey different levels of formality and respect. “ Ma’am ” is a contraction of “madam,” which is a formal and respectful way to address a woman, especially one whose name you do not know. Mam is primarily utilized in some English-speaking regions to address one's mother. This term is intimate and denotes familial closeness. Ma'am , on the other hand, is an abbreviation for "madam" and serves as a courteous term to refer to or address any woman, particularly in a formal setting.
