Valedictions normally immediately precede the signature in written correspondence. The word or words used express respect, esteem, or regard for the person to whom the correspondence is directed, and the exact form used depends on a number of factors. In British English, valedictions have largely been replaced by the use of "Yours
sincerely" or "Yours faithfully". "Yours sincerely" is typically employed in English when the recipient is addressed by name (e.g. "Dear John", "Dear Mr. Smith"), whereas "Yours faithfully" is used when the recipient is not addressed by name (i.e., the recipient is addressed by a phrase such as "Dear Sir/Madam").
Formal usage Historically, valedictions were often elaborate and formal. Vestiges of such formality remain in various cases. The examples below are subject to some variation but generally follow the pattern described.
United Kingdom • Letters to the
King of the United Kingdom should end, "I have the honour to remain, Sir, Your Majesty's most humble and obedient servant." Alternatively, "I remain, with the profoundest veneration, your Majesty's most faithful subject and dutiful servant." • Letters to other
members of the royal family should end, "I have the honour to remain, Sir/Madam, Your Royal Highness's most humble and obedient servant." • Letters to
high commissioners should end, "I have the honour to be Your Excellency's obedient servant." • Letters to a
cardinal should end, "I have the honour to be, My Lord Cardinal, Your Eminence's devoted and obedient child." (substituting "obedient servant" if not a Roman Catholic). This practice ended with the fall of Nazi Germany and
Denazification.
Business usage in the United States The following table contains complimentary closings as recommended for business hard-letter use by two American authorities:
Barron's Educational Series and
American Management Association (AMACOM).
Diplomatic usage A diplomatic
note verbale always ends with an elaborate valediction, most commonly "[Sender] avails itself of this opportunity to renew to [recipient] the assurances of its highest consideration".
Valedictions in e-mail Valedictions in formal
e-mail are similar to valedictions in letters; on the whole, they are variations of "regards" and "yours". However, a wide range of popular valedictions are used in casual e-mail but very rarely in letters. and occasionally used by sailors or people working in a maritime context. It is commonly used in the Royal Australian Navy as a sign-off in written communication such as emails. • "Yours, etc." is used historically for abbreviated endings. It can be found in older newspaper letters to the editor, and often in US legal correspondence. "&c." may be seen as an alternative abbreviation of
et cetera, the
ampersand functioning as a
ligature form of "et". "I am, etc." and "I remain, etc." are also used.
United States military usage Current regulations of the
United States Department of Defense, the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, the
U.S. Air Force, the
U.S. Army, and the
U.S. Navy call for two complimentary closings for letters: "Respectfully yours" and "Sincerely". "Respectfully yours" is reserved for the president (and, for the Army only, the president's spouse) and the president-elect. "Sincerely" is used in all other cases. E-mail sent to other servicemembers uses "Very respectfully" (senior in rank to signer) and "Respectfully" (junior in rank to signer). ==Phrases from fictional works==