Word
sincerely
Phoneticssin·cere·ly, stress on the second syllable
US/sɪnˈsɪɹɫi/
UK/sɪnsˈiəli/
Adverb of manner
Definitions
01honestly and genuinely
B1 · Intermediate
adv. in a way that is honest and shows you really mean what you say.
adv. in a genuine and earnest manner, indicating that the speaker's feelings or intentions are truthful.
“I sincerely hope that you feel better soon after your surgery.”
“The CEO sincerely apologised for the technical failure, acknowledging the significant disruption it had caused to the company's long-term clients.”
Antonyms
02letter closing
B1 · Intermediate Formal
adv. a polite way to end a formal letter or email before you sign your name.
adv. a conventional formulaic closing for formal correspondence, typically used when the recipient is addressed by name.
“Sincerely, Sarah Jenkins.”
“The candidate concluded the cover letter with 'Sincerely,' followed by his full name and contact information as per the standard professional protocol.”
Usage
Usually appears as 'Sincerely,' or 'Yours sincerely,' at the very end of a letter.
Pitfall
Sincerely yours, John Smith (to a stranger)
Yours faithfully, John Smith
In British English, use 'Sincerely' when you know the person's name and 'Faithfully' when you start with 'Dear Sir/Madam'.
Teaching tip
While 'Sincerely' is standard in American English for most formal mail, British English traditionally distinguishes between 'Sincerely' (known recipient) and 'Faithfully' (unknown recipient).
Synonyms
Etymology
From sincere + -ly, from Latin sincērus (“pure, clean, sound”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Idioms
01. yours sincerely
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/sincerely