Mrs.

[ mis-iz, miz-iz ]

abbreviation for

, plural Mmes. [mey-, dahm, -, dam].

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.

Mrs

/ ˈmɪsɪz /

noun

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

Gender Note

See Ms. none

Pronunciation Note

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 [mis, -tris] to [mis, -is] or [mis, -iz]. 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; [mis, -iz] and sometimes [mis, -is] are the common forms in the North and North Midland, while in the South Midland and South, the prevalent types are [miz, -iz] and [miz], the latter homophonous with the usual pronunciation of the abbreviation Ms.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mrs.¹

Abbreviation of mistress none

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mrs.¹

C17: originally an abbreviation of mistress

Example Sentences

Mrs. Kouachi works at a nursery and has worn the veil since she made the pilgrimage to Mecca in 2008.

From The Daily Beast

There was the empathetic way she dealt with the revelation that Mrs. Baxter is a former criminal.

From The Daily Beast

J Crew did not give back the money it incidentally made off of Mrs. Obama.

From The Daily Beast

“I feel a shaking of the ground I stand on,” Carson tells Mrs. Hughes with trepidation.

From The Daily Beast

The campaign was known to palace insiders as “Operation Mrs. PB.”

From The Daily Beast

Mrs. Wurzel was quite right; they had been supplied, regardless of cost, from Messrs. Rochet and Stole's well-known establishment.

From Project Gutenberg

Bernard stood there face to face with Mrs. Vivian, whose eyes seemed to plead with him more than ever.

From Project Gutenberg

But Mrs. Dodd, the present vicar's wife, retained the precious prerogative of choosing the book to be read at the monthly Dorcas.

From Project Gutenberg

Old Mrs. Wurzel and the buxom but not too well-favoured heiress of the house of Grains were at the head of the table.

From Project Gutenberg

He reached forward and took her hands, and if Mrs. Vivian had come in she would have seen him kneeling at her daughter's feet.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• female
• person