if I may

/ɪf aɪ meɪ/

phrase

Without any following verb, implies a request to interrupt, to speak at length, or to take control, often when the speaker can introduce new, unexpected information or, alternatively, when the speaker disapproves of how a task was done and proposes to redo it.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. Without any following verb, implies a request to interrupt, to speak at length, or to take control, often when the speaker can introduce new, unexpected information or, alternatively, when the speaker disapproves of how a task was done and proposes to redo it.
Cite this entry
APA

if I may. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20I%20may

MLA

“if I may.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20I%20may. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “if I may,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/if%20I%20may.

Source: if I may on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.