Madama

Madama is an Italian honorific used to address or refer to a woman of rank or dignity. Historically, it functioned as a formal equivalent of Madam or Mrs in English and was common in courts and aristocratic circles as a respectful address. In contemporary Italian, Signora is the standard everyday form, while Madama survives mainly in ceremonial, literary, or historical contexts.

The term derives from an Italian expression meaning “my lady” or from the noun dama, meaning lady or noblewoman; the form has long appeared in courtly speech and in literature as an elevated address for noblewomen or matrons.

In culture, Madama appears in the title of Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly (1904), where the word “Madama” translates the polite address “my lady” used in the Italian libretto. The title signals both respect and social distance within the story.

Today, Madama is uncommon in everyday Italian. It is mostly encountered in ceremonial language, historical writing, or stylistic usage to evoke a traditional or aristocratic tone. In English-language contexts, it is often translated as Madame or Madam. See also Madame (French) and Signora for related forms of address.