# yours truly

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/yours-truly
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Used to close a note or letter.

## Examples

- Yours truly, John.
- She ended the email with 'yours truly' before sending it to the manager.
- After pages of elegant prose, the aging diplomat signed the final letter to his former rival with a simple 'yours truly'.

## Origin

The phrase was first recorded in the late 1700s as a conventional closing for a letter. Since the mid-1800s, the expression has been used to signify I, me, or myself.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.