Mrs.

American  

[mis-iz, miz-iz] / ˈmɪs ɪz, ˈmɪz ɪz /

abbreviation

plural

Mmes

1. a title of respect prefixed to the surname or full name of a married woman.

   Mrs. Jones; Mrs. Susan Jones.

2. 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.

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Mrs British  

/ ˈmɪsɪz /

noun

1. a title used before the name or names of a married woman

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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

At Mrs. Riley’s boardinghouse, Ryui is taken under the wing of Torajiro “Jack” Baba, a cynical photographer with an avant-garde aesthetic.

From The Wall Street Journal

A “smart, energetic young girl,” in Ms. DuBois’s words, the future Mrs. Stanton was a natural rebel who hated being told “no.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. and Mrs. Fox were lucky parents; about half of American babies born in the mid-1800s died before their fifth birthday.

From Literature

Now he is returning to direct a “Scream” entry for the first time; his only previous credit as a movie director is “Teaching Mrs. Tingle,” a 1999 flop.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Hoppy is a retired mechanic who lives in an apartment directly above the widowed Mrs. Silver, the object of his undeclared crush.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• girl
• mother