señorita

American  

[seyn-yuh-ree-tuh, seen-, se-nyaw-ree-tah] / ˌseɪn yəˈri tə, ˌsin-, sɛ nyɔˈri tɑ /

noun

plural

señoritas

1. a Spanish term of address equivalent to miss, used alone or capitalized and prefixed to the name of a girl or unmarried woman. Srta.

2. a cigar-shaped wrasse, Oxyjulis californica, found off the coast of California, olive brown above shading to creamy white below.

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señorita British  

/ ˌsɛnjɔːˈriːtə, seɲoˈrita /

noun

1. an unmarried Spanish or Spanish-speaking woman: a title of address equivalent to Miss when placed before a name or madam or miss when used alone

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Etymology

Origin of señorita

1815–25, < Spanish, diminutive of señora ( def. )

Example Sentences

At that novel’s end, the lovely señorita appears set to become a second Señora Vega, but her flashing eyes must have lost their dazzle since we never hear of her again.

From Washington Post • Jul. 10, 2019

At the training camp they said the words señora, señorita, and señor separate people by age and status.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

“You know, without family, you won’t make it in this life. And now that you’re older, you have to learn how to be a nice señorita just like your sister, may she rest in peace.”

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

Sometimes, he complained he felt caught between the woman's libber and the Catholic señorita.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

The small group stands staring at the sagging tire a moment, the two men kicking at it as if punishing it for having failed the señorita.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez