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| Abbess, Christian Orthodox Abbot, Christian Orthodox Accountant Acting Official Adjutant General Admiral Admiral, Texas Navy Adventist Minister Alderman Archbishop, Catholic Archbishop, Christian Orthodox Archdeacon, Episcopal Archimandrite Architect Archpriest Ambassador, Goodwill Ambassador of one country to another country Ambassador of the U.S. to another country by a U.S. citizen Ambassador of the U.S. to the U.K. American Indian Chief Assemblyman U.S., State / or Assemblywoman Assistant Secretary Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice of a State Supreme Court Astronaut Attorney Attorney General Attorney General, Assistant Attorney, U.S. Australian Officials Awards, Name on an
Baron, Baroness British Officials, Royalty, Nobility Brother, Catholic Brother, Christian Orthodox Bishop, Catholic Bishop, Christian Orthodox Bishop, Episcopal Board Member Boy Brigadier General Business Cards
Canadian Officials Candidate Captain, USA, USAF, USMC Cardinal Certificate, Name on a Chairman Federal Reserve Chairwoman Chancellor Chaplain in the Armed Services Chaplain of Congress Chargé d’Affaires Chief Executive Officer Chief Judge Chief Justice, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, of a State Supreme Court Chief of Police Chief of Staff Chief Operating Officer Child Chiropractor City Manager Clergy & Religious Officials Club Official Colonel, Kentucky Colonel, USA, USAF, or USMC Commandant Commissioner, Court Commissioner Commodore of a Yacht Club Congressman, U.S. Congresswoman, U.S. Consul and or Consul General Consultant Corporate Executive Councilman Councilwoman Counselor (Diplomat) Countess County Officials Couples U.S. Military U.S. Officials Private Citizens Same Sex Curator
Dalai Lama Deacon Dean, academic Dean, clergy Deceased Persons Degree, honorary Delegate, U.S., State Dentist Deputy Chief of Mission Deputy Marshal Deputy Secretary Designate, Elect, Pro Tempore Diploma, Name on a Diplomats Director District Attorney Doctor, Chiropractor Doctor of Dentistry Doctor of Medicine Doctor, Military Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Doctor, Optometrist Doctor of Osteopathy Doctor, Other Disciplines Doctorate Doctorate, honorary
Earl Elect, Designate Pro Tempore Emeritus/emerita Eminence Emperor Engineer Esquire, Esq. Excellency
Family Fiancee Firefighter First Names, Use of Formal / Informal First, Second, Third , etc . First Lady, Spouse of the President of the United States First Lady, Member of Her White House Staff First Lady, Spouse of a U.S. Governor or Lt. Gov. First Lady, Spouse of a U.S. Mayor First Lady of a Church First Lieutenant Former Officials Freeholder
Gay Couple Geshe General USA, USAF, USMC Girl Goodwill Ambassador Governor General Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Lt., Spouse Governor, Tribal Council Governor, U.S. State Governor, Former Governor Spouse of Governor's Staff, Member of Governors, Board of
High Commissioner Honorable, The Honorary Ambassador Honorary degrees Honorary doctorate Honourable, The Indian Chief Inspector General Interim Official Introductions Invitations Writing & Addressing Invitations Military: Writing & Addressing
Judge, former Judge of US City County or State Judge, US Federal Junior, Senior, I, II, III, etc . Justice, Associate Federal Supreme Court Justice, Associate State Supreme Court
King Knight
Late, The (deceased persons) Lawyer Lesbian Couple Lieutenant Lieutenant Colonel, USA, USAF, USMC Lieutenant General, USA, USAF, USMC Lieutenant Governor
Ma'am Major USA, USAF, USMC Major General, USA, USAF, USMC Man, business Man, social Marquess / Marchioness Married Women Marshal for a Judicial District, U.S. Mayor, U.S. City Mayor, Canadian City Mayor Pro Tempore Mayor, Vice Medic Minister, Protestant Clergy Miss Monk, Christian Orthodox Monsignor Most Reverend, The Mother Superior Mr. (Social) Mr. (Business) Mrs., Ms. (Use, Social Forms) Mrs. vs. Ms. Mr. & Mrs. / Couples
Name Badges or Tags Nobility, UK/British Nobility, Other & Former Nun, Catholic Nun, Orthodox Nurse
Officer, Police Optometrist Pastor, Christian Clergy Patriarch, Christian Orthodox Patriarch, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople People with Two Titles Permanent Representative Petty Officer Pharmacist Physician PhD Place Cards Plaque, Name on a Police Chief Police Officer Pope, Catholic Pope, Coptic Postmaster General Post-Nominal Abbreviations Presbyter, Orthodox President, corporate President of College or University President of a Secondary School President of a US State Assembly President (current) of the U.S.A. President (former) of the U.S.A. President of the U.S.A., spouse of President-elect of the U.S. Priest, Catholic Priest, Christian Orthodox Priest, Episcopal Prime Minister Principal Professionals & Academics Professor Pro Tempore, Elect, Designate Psychologist
Queen Rabbi Ranger, Texas Representative, U.S., Federal Representative, U.S., State Reservist, Military Resident Commissioner Retired Military 1. Formula For How to Address 2. Use of Rank by Retired Military 3. Q&A on How to Address Retired Military Retiree Reverend, The Right Reverend, The
Same Sex Couple Salvation Army School Board Member Second Lieutenant Secretary, U.S. Department, Member of the Cabinet Secretary of Defense, U.S. Secretary, Assistant Secretary General of the U.N. Senator, U.S., Federal Senator, U.S., State Senator, Canadian Senior, Junior, I, II, III, etc. Senior Judge Sergeant Sergeant at Arms Seventh Day Adventist Minister Sheriff Sister, Catholic Sir Solicitor General Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Specialist Spouse of the President of the U.S. Spouse of the Vice President of the U.S. Spouse of an Elected Official State Attorney Surgeon General Texas Ranger Titles & Forms of Address, Useless? Tombstones, Names on Town Justice Town Manager The Honorable Tribal Officials Two Titles, Person With Under Secretary US Attorney US Federal Officials US State Officials US Municipal Officials
Venerable, The Veteran (not Retired) Veterinarian Very Reverend, The VFW Officer/Official Vice Mayor Vice President of the U.S. Spouse of the Vice President of the U.S. Vice President-elect of the U.S. Viscount and/or Viscountess Warrant Officer Widow White House Staff Woman, business Woman, social Yacht Club Officer
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| How to Address an Official Addressed as "The Honorable" In the United States of America
In the United States the Honorable is a courtesy title used with the names of current and retired high-ranking federal and state officials and judges, and with some local officials. It is not used with the names of the deceased. As a general rule, anyone elected to public office in a general election is entitled to be addressed as the Honorable for life. This same pattern of "elected in a general election" is also typical at the state and local level. At a city/municipal/county/etc. level a mayor and sheriff are always the Honorable, but whether or not other local officials (e.g. members of elected city councils and boards) are the Honorable is by local tradition. Some appointed officials are also addressed as the Honorable. At the Federal level those appointed by the President of the United States and individually confirmed by the United States Senate are addressed as the Honorable. At the state level the pattern is the same. The Honorable is always used before a full name. As a courtesy title the Honorable describes an individual: This person is honorable. As such it never precedes the just the name of an office. Honorable or Hon. are not used in direct address -- on a letter or place card, or in a salutation or conversation -- as honorifics like Mr., Mrs. Ms., Mayor, Ambassador, etc.
Formula: The Honorable (Full Name), (Office Held) Correct: The Honorable Ahmed Henderson, Mayor of Springfield
Incorrect: The Honorable (Office Held) It is the person who is the Honorable, not the office. Incorrect: The Honorable Mayor Incorrect: The Honorable Mayor of Springfield
Not formally correct: Honorable Ahmed Henderson Not formally correct: Hon. Ahmed Henderson
All about The Honorable Link to Q&A just on officials in the U.S. addressed as The Honorable
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| How to Use The Honorable? I believe Honorable should be included as a title/rank on invitations, letters and envelopes. But is it proper or acceptable at any time to refer to a judge as Honorable John Q. Smith, Honorable Judge John Q. Smith or Hon. John Q. Smith, e.g., in a list? -- S.B. a the US Bankruptcy Court
My secretary recently drafted a letter of recommendation for a former employee from me and included the title the Honorable with my name, which others use when introducing or addressing me – an elected Tax Collector. I have never called myself the Honorable and it seems improper at the end of a letter. Am I correct that the title Honorable should be used by persons addressing me but not by me when signing my own name? -- SR, Tex Collector
I am a doctor and just recently – an elected Federal official. Am I correctly listed in a program as The Honorable Dr. (Full Name)? -- JMC in Virginia
Dear SB & SR, and JMC : The correct form is The Honorable (Full Name). It is not correct to refer to to anyone as simply Honorable or Hon. If you need to use a shortened versions because you are short on space or ink/toner for your printer use The Hon. One never uses the The Honorable when saying or writing one's own name. So – never as the host on an invitation, never when signing one's name, and never when introducing yourself. If the guest of honor is the Honorable, and their name is being included on the invitation, the host can list their guest as the Honorable (Full Name) since the name is a reference to another person, not that person writing their own name. Any guest addressed as the Honorable, should be the Honorable (Full Name) on their invitation's outside envelope. The Honorable, is not combined with other honorifics, ranks or titles in the USA. So none of these is correct when addressing US officials: The Honorable Dr. (Name), The Honorable Senator (Name), The Honorable Judge (Name), The Honorable Mayor (Name) or The Honorable General (Name) etc. This is the same pattern as for His/Her Excellency' which is not used reflexively either. -- Robert Hickey
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