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., 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.
See Ms.
Abbreviation of mistress
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When we adopted her, her name was Riley, but I did think about naming her after Mrs. Hughes from “Downton Abbey.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
“We are devastated to share that the Campbell Family has lost its matriarch, Mrs. Nateal Campbell,” the family said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
It offloaded the Chef Boyardee brand External link in June 2025 for $600 million and sold the frozen seafood brands Van de Kamp’s and Mrs. Paul’s for $55 million.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
So when Season 6 opens in 1945 and shows that Mrs. Hall has moved out to live with her son and his new wife, you can’t help feeling happy for her.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
Mrs. Bierens de Haan looked at me in surprise.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
For now, welcome to New York, soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
She added her daughter would have been "absolutely humiliated beyond belief" when coach Morgan called Riglar "Mrs Cusack" in front of their teammates, because she wanted to keep her relationship private.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Welsh actress and writer Ruth Jones was the "iconic" Mrs Bennet, with Richard E Grant playing her husband, Mr Bennet.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
The judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told the men that their actions "threaten the sovereignty of the state" during sentencing remarks at the Old Bailey on Thursday.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
"They're over there on those lower shelves," Mrs Phelps told her.
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.
