sincerely
- 01 B1 Intermediate
in a way that is honest and shows you really mean what you say.
in a genuine and earnest manner, indicating that the speaker's feelings or intentions are truthful.
Simple“I sincerely hope that you feel better soon after your surgery.”
In context“The CEO sincerely apologised for the technical failure, acknowledging the significant disruption it had caused to the company's long-term clients.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
a polite way to end a formal letter or email before you sign your name.
a conventional formulaic closing for formal correspondence, typically used when the recipient is addressed by name.
Simple“Sincerely, Sarah Jenkins.”
In context“The candidate concluded the cover letter with 'Sincerely,' followed by his full name and contact information as per the standard professional protocol.”
UsageUsually appears as 'Sincerely,' or 'Yours sincerely,' at the very end of a letter.
Teacher's tipWhile 'Sincerely' is standard in American English for most formal mail, British English traditionally distinguishes between 'Sincerely' (known recipient) and 'Faithfully' (unknown recipient).
PitfallSincerely yours, John Smith (to a stranger) Yours faithfully, John SmithIn British English, use 'Sincerely' when you know the person's name and 'Faithfully' when you start with 'Dear Sir/Madam'.
Synonyms
From sincere + -ly, from Latin sincērus (“pure, clean, sound”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.