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Glite Dictionary
sincerely yours

sincerely yours

3 2.1
A polite way to end a formal letter when you know the person's name
  • idiom
  • Formal
translation icon : atentamente
  • Sincerely yours, Kevin T. Dear Kevin,
  • remain sincerely yours

Examples

  • Sincerely yours, Vera C. Rubin.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Sincerely yours, Frederick J. Flintstone.

    The Flintstones (1994)

  • I remain most sincerely yours, Florence Ivory.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Sincerely yours, ARTHUR PERMISON, President

    Academic text (2000)

  • Sincerely yours, Allen B. Quippen, Attorney at Law

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Sincerely yours, A. Richardson Walvert, Partner

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Sincerely yours, Crystal K.

    Blog text (17)

  • Sincerely yours, Andrew O'Brien.

    Heartburn (1986)

  • Sincerely yours, F.M. Salahuddin.

    Blog text (21)

  • Sincerely yours, Edward French.

Synonyms

regards
vssincerely yours
131 1.0

A polite message that gives your good wishes to someone

is more personal and used directly with a named recipient
yours truly
vssincerely yours
  • Formal
8 5.5

A polite closing you write before your name at the end of a letter or email

is chosen when the recipient's name is known in formal letters
warm regards
vssincerely yours
1 2.3

A polite, friendly way to end a letter or email

is more formal and used with a named recipient
yours
vssincerely yours
  • Formal
1.0

It is a friendly word written at the end of a letter before the sender's name

is more formal and used directly with a named recipient

How Formal

sincerely yours
  • Formal
3 2.1
complementary close
  • Formal
5.3
warm regards
1 2.3
cheers
  • UK
6.7
love
  • Informal
772 1.0

Surface Forms

sincerely yours positive

Morphology

sincerely + yours

The phrase combines 'sincerely' (honestly) with 'yours' (a closing/possessive marker) so its communicative force — a polite, honest sign-off — is directly inferable from the parts. This compositional pattern is common across many languages' letter closings, so a B1 learner who knows both words will very likely understand it as a formal closing formula.

Etymology

The closing sincerely yours comes from old letter traditions when writers used long phrases like 'truly yours' to show honest feeling. Over time people shortened those phrases to sincerely and yours, so today the closing politely shows the writer is being 'honest and respectful'.