to whom
Letter's intended recipient
To whom is the object form of "to who," used when the person in question receives the action or is governed by a preposition.
Traditional grammar insists on whom after prepositions: To whom it may concern, To whom should I address this letter?
In practice, "who" increasingly replaces "whom" in speech and informal writing, making "to whom" sound formal or stuffy to many ears.
It persists in fixed phrases and formal correspondence.
- recipientOne who receives something
- addresseeIntended mail recipient
- concernedFeeling worry or interest
- dear sirEpistolary salutation
- beneficiaryDesignated asset receiver
directed · intended · audience · receiver · person · subject · individual · party · target · inquiry · addressed · regarding · concerning · formal · question · him · her · them
- question wordswhat, when, where, which, why
- Address typesgreeting, salutation, formal address, title, honorific
- correspondenceletters, letter, handwritten letters, family letters, missives