Dear means loved or valued, and is often used to show affection, like in letters. It can also mean expensive in some varieties of English.
It comes from Old English “dēore,” meaning “precious, valuable, beloved.” The idea of emotional value and money value grew from the same root of “something that matters a lot.”
The same word can mean both “beloved” and “expensive”—like something close to your heart or hard on your wallet. When you write “Dear Sam,” you’re literally calling Sam “precious” in old English terms.
'Dear' in salutations historically reflected gendered address patterns (e.g., 'Dear Sir', 'Dear Madam') tied to formal male-dominated correspondence. It has also been used in patronizing ways toward women (e.g., 'Listen, dear') more than toward men.
Use 'dear' neutrally in written salutations (e.g., 'Dear Alex', 'Dear team') and avoid using it as a diminutive or patronizing term of address, especially across power or age differences.
["hello","hi","to","greetings"]
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