Mrs.
Americanabbreviation
-
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.
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:
“We’re just caretakers of it. It’s a museum and church, in a sense, with all this stuff. Mrs. Pruett really focused on protecting it, protecting these people’s stuff — their mark.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
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
Since then, Reynolds played Mrs. Augusta Elton in Autumn de Wilde’s “Emma,” and starred on TV shows like “I Hate You” and “The Decameron.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 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
Mrs. Kuen stood at the front, beside a piano positioned near the window.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
![]()
Gavin & Stacey's Ruth Jones will return to the hit show as Mrs Bennet, who she previously described as "often quite cruel" to her daughter Mary.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Mr and Mrs Barton, 48, who had lived in Barnsley, had recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
The comments by Mrs Strada, national chairperson of 9/11 Families United, drew applause from the audience.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
"There has been nothing from you, Mrs Weidel, on what happened on August 4 at Leipzig airport," he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
“I know it’s my fault,” Mrs Compson said.
From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
![]()
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.