courtesy title

courtesy title

noun

Definition of COURTESY TITLE

1

: a title (as “Lord” added to the Christian name of a peer's younger son) used in addressing certain lineal relatives of British peers

2

: a title (as “Professor” for any teacher) taken by the user and commonly accepted without consideration of official right

Examples of COURTESY TITLE

1. the courtesy titles “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “Ms.,” “Dr.,” etc.
2. As a child, he was taught to address his elders with the courtesy titles “sir” and “ma'am.”

First Known Use of COURTESY TITLE

1865