Mrs.
abbreviation
a title of respect prefixed to the surname or full name of a married woman.
Mrs.
American
[mis-iz, miz-iz]
/ ˈmɪs ɪz, ˈmɪz ɪz /
abbreviation
-
Mmes
plural
-
a title of respect prefixed to the surname or full name of a married woman.
Mrs. Jones; Mrs. Susan Jones.
-
a title prefixed to a mock surname that is used to represent possession of a particular attribute, identity, etc., especially in an idealized or excessive way.
Mrs. Punctuality.
Mrs
British
/ ˈmɪsɪz /
noun
Pronunciation
Mrs., first recorded in the early 17th century, was originally, like Miss, an abbreviation of mistress. Mrs. and mistress were at first used interchangeably in all contexts, but by the second half of that century, the written form of the abbreviation was largely confined to use as a title preceding a woman's surname. By the early 19th century, reduction of the medial consonant cluster had contracted the usual pronunciation of the title from to or . The contracted pronunciation used other than as a title was not considered standard, and today, locutions like Let me discuss it with the missis are perceived as old-fashioned. Currently, two main types of pronunciation for the abbreviation occur in the United States; and sometimes are the common forms in the North and North Midland, while in the South Midland and South, the prevalent types are and , the latter homophonous with the usual pronunciation of the abbreviation Ms.
Gender
See Ms.
Etymology
Origin of Mrs.
Abbreviation of mistress
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
O'Carroll added that he has been "talking with the BBC about getting Mrs. Brown's Boys back on the screen in 2027".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Her gonzo, anti-woke update of Mrs. Robinson in “The Graduate” is a tigress—beautiful, powerful, sleek, and insatiably carnivorous.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Lindsey Graham and Mark Sanford were once close; so much so that Mr. and Mrs. Sanford, as they then were, named Graham godfather to their youngest son.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Well, that is a conundrum that Mrs. Waters, in the interest of avoiding confrontation with her life’s cognitive dissonance, should probably learn to live with.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
Mrs. Kuen stood off to the side in front of a carved folding screen.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Brendan O'Carroll, the star and creator of TV sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys, has announced that the show's planned Christmas and New Year specials have been cancelled because he needs an operation on a broken jaw.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The Irishman also confirmed that he would postpone his festive Mrs Brown's Boys D'Panto? shows in Dublin and Killarney, with the aim of rescheduling them for 2027.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
In 2016, Austria's parliament passed a law allowing the government to seize the house from Mrs Pommer.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
For now, welcome to New York, soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
"Mrs Wormwood isn't going to thank you for this," the man said as he led her into the sitting-room where a large platinum-blonde woman was gazing rapturously at the TV screen.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
