Regards

Regards is a noun in English with two principal senses. It can denote esteem, respect, or consideration shown toward a person or thing. It also appears in plural form in phrases that express greetings or well-wishes, especially in correspondence, such as "best regards" or "kind regards." The verb phrase "to give my regards to someone" means to convey a greeting.

Etymology and development: Regard comes from Old French regard, meaning "a gaze; attention; respect," and was adopted into English with meanings that expanded from looking at or noticing something to include esteem and consideration. The plural form regards has become common in fixed expressions and in the sense of multiple aspects or points of attention.

Usage notes: The singular form "regard" is often used in phrases such as "in regard to" or "with regard to," meaning "concerning" or "about." The variant "in regards to" is widely used in modern English but is sometimes regarded as nonstandard by style guides, which often prefer "with regard to" or "regarding." The expression "as regards" means "as for" or "with respect to." In writing, regards is most commonly encountered as part of valedictions like "Best regards" or "Kind regards," used to close emails and letters. The idiom "to give someone my regards" or "send my regards to" conveys greetings.

See also: regard, valediction, greeting, closing (in letters and emails).