Mrs

Mrs

Title (noun abbreviation) · /ˈmɪs.ɪz/

Definition

A title used before the surname or full name of a married woman, or a woman who does not use Miss or Ms; a form of address for a married woman. Pronounced /ˈmɪs.ɪz/ though abbreviated Mrs.

Origin

An abbreviation of Mistress — the feminine equivalent of Master (Mister/Mr), once used as a general respectful title for any woman regardless of marital status. From Old French maistresse, feminine of maistre (master), from Latin magistra (feminine of magister: teacher, master). Mrs gradually came to be reserved specifically for married women as the 18th century progressed, while Miss (a contraction of Mistress) developed as the title for unmarried women. The gap between the spelling (Mrs = Mistress) and the pronunciation (/ˈmɪs.ɪz/) reflecting the historical contraction.