Dear Sir or Madam vs. To Whom It May Concern
“Dear Sir or Madam” and “To Whom It May Concern” are used when a specific recipient is unknown, but contemporary guidance increasingly favors identifying the recipient or addressing a role. Purdue presents “To Whom it May Concern” as a nonsexist alternative to gendered salutations, while Boise State advises avoiding it when a job-title or generic role greeting can be used.
Both are generic formal salutations, but neither should be your first choice when you can identify a person, role, or department. “To Whom It May Concern” avoids guessing gender; many modern business-writing guides prefer an addressed role such as “Dear Recruiter” when possible.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
This is a tone and audience decision, not a grammar rule. Different institutional style guides make different recommendations, so the communication context and house style control.
Further guidance
Application
For an unknown hiring contact, “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Recruiter” is usually more targeted than either generic formula. Reserve a generic salutation for genuinely unidentified audiences.
Core Rule
Use a specific name or role when possible. If the choice is strictly between these two generic formulas, “To Whom It May Concern” does not assume a gendered title, but it can still sound impersonal.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Tone in Business Writing — Purdue OWL (opens in a new tab)Purdue Online Writing Lab · Professional-writing guidance recommending a nonsexist salutation when the reader’s gender is unknown and illustrating “To Whom it May Concern.”
- Communication Guidelines — COBE Writing Style Guide (opens in a new tab)Boise State University · Institutional business-writing guidance preferring a role-specific or generic greeting over “To whom it may concern” when the name/gender is unknown.