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  • plural of M.
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  • ms
    ms
    millisecond; milliseconds.
  • MS
    MS
    abbreviation
    Mississippi (approved especially for use with zip code).
  • ms.
    ms.
    abbreviation
    manuscript.
  • Ms.
    Ms.
    abbreviation
    a title of respect prefixed to a woman's name or position: unlike Miss or Mrs., it does not depend upon or indicate her marital status.
  • MS.
    MS.
    abbreviation
    manuscript.
  • m/s
    m/s
    meter per second; meters per second.
  • M/S
    M/S
    months after sight.
  • m.s.
    m.s.
    abbreviation
    modification of the stem of.
  • M.S.
    M.S.
    abbreviation
    mail steamer.
  • Ms
    Ms
    noun
    a title substituted for Mrs or Miss before a woman's name to avoid making a distinction between married and unmarried women Compare Miss Mrs
Synonyms

ms

1 American  
  1. millisecond; milliseconds.


MS 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. Mississippi (approved especially for use with zip code).

  2. motorship.

  3. multiple sclerosis.


ms. 3 American  

abbreviation

mss plural
  1. manuscript.


Ms. 4 American  
[miz] / mɪz /

abbreviation

Mses plural
  1. a title of respect prefixed to a woman's name or position: unlike Miss or Mrs., it does not depend upon or indicate her marital status.

  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.

    Ms. Cooperation.


MS. 5 American  

abbreviation

MSS plural
  1. manuscript.


m/s 6 American  
  1. meter per second; meters per second.


M/S 7 American  
  1. Commerce. months after sight.

  2. motorship.


m.s. 8 American  

abbreviation

  1. modification of the stem of.

  2. Commerce. months after sight.


M.S. 9 American  

abbreviation

  1. mail steamer.

  2. Master of Science.

  3. Master in Surgery.

  4. motorship.


Ms 1 British  
/ mɪz, məs /

noun

  1. a title substituted for Mrs or Miss before a woman's name to avoid making a distinction between married and unmarried women Compare Miss Mrs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

MS. 2 British  

abbreviation

  1. manuscript

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ms 3 British  

abbreviation

  1. Montserrat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

MS 4 British  

abbreviation

  1. Master of Surgery

  2. (on gravestones) memoriae sacrum

  3. Mississippi

  4. motor ship

  5. multiple sclerosis

  6. Mauritius (international car registration)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Ms. Cultural  
  1. A title used before a woman's name, pronounced “Miz” and corresponding to Mr. before a man's.


Pronunciation

Ms. is pronounced (miz), a pronunciation that is identical with one standard South Midland and Southern U.S. pronunciation of Mrs.

Gender

Ms. came into use in the 1950s as a title before a woman's surname when her marital status was unknown or irrelevant. In the early 1970s, the use of Ms. was adopted and encouraged by the women's movement, the reasoning being that since a man's marital status is not revealed by the title Mr., there is no reason that a woman's status should be revealed by her title. Since then Ms. has gained increasing currency, especially in business and professional use. Some women prefer the traditional Miss (still fully standard for a woman whose marital status is unknown and for an unmarried woman) or, when appropriate, Mrs. Newspaper editors sometimes reject Ms. except in quoted matter. Others use whichever of the three titles a woman prefers if her preference is known. Increasingly, newspapers avoid the use of all three titles by referring to women by their full names in first references ( Sarah Brady; Margaret Bourke-White ) and by surname only, as with men, in subsequent references: Brady, Bourke-White. Since all three titles— Ms., Miss, and Mrs. —remain in use, the preference of the woman being named or addressed or the practice of the organization or publication in which the name is to appear is often followed.

Discover More

Feminists have urged the use of Ms. because, unlike Miss or Mrs., it does not identify a woman by her marital status. (See feminism.)

Etymology

Origin of MS

(sense 2) Latin: sacred to the memory of

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.

A healthy Kirby could make a huge difference this season for an already formidable M’s rotation.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

French media reported that Thomas M's role as head butler and keeper of precious silver involved setting the tables at state dinners and other prestigious events.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

The first official, the head of the Military Police’s Investigation and Prisons Branch, said there was no approval to hand over M’s body to his family.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

He apologizes for his mistake, but M’s frustration suggests a complicated history that the play doesn’t have time to delve into.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2025

The next morning, she pulled out her Rolodex and flipped to the M’s: Manwill, Elizabeth.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

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