Mrs. originated as a contraction of the honorific Mistress (the feminine of Mister or Master) which was originally applied to both married and unmarried women in the upper class. Writers who used Mrs for …

The plural of Mrs. is Mmes., a shortening of the French plural Mesdames. English borrowed the French plural for this honorific after adopting Messrs. for the plural of Mr..

Oct 7, 2022 · Generally speaking, it is considered proper etiquette to use Mrs. to refer to married women, Miss to refer to unmarried women and young girls, and Ms. to refer to a woman of unknown …

May 8, 2023 · Ms. is a general title that does not indicate marital status but is still feminine. Mrs. is a traditional title used for a married woman. Miss is a traditional title used for an unmarried woman. Mx. …

Dec 17, 2022 · Mrs. is a title used for a married woman. The more neutral title Ms. can be used instead for a woman whose marital status is unknown or irrelevant or who expresses a preference for this …

Mrs. (pronounced MIS–iz) is similar to Miss, except that it refers to a married woman. The other difference is that Mrs. is not used as a stand-alone title; to be polite in addressing a married woman …

4 days ago · Ms or Mrs explained: meaning, pronunciation, professional usage, married vs unmarried, Miss comparison, first name rules, and etiquette.

Jan 12, 2026 · Ms. vs. Mrs. When to Use Ms. Ms. is used to refer to: A woman is over 25. You don’t know whether she is married or not. She is married but adopts her maiden name. Ms. Examples: Ms. …

As a consequence, writers are often unsure whether to use "Ms.," "Miss," or "Mrs." when addressing a woman in an email or a letter. These feminine honorifics are all contractions of the word "Mistress."

/ ˈmɪs·ɪz, -ɪs / Add to word list a title for a married woman, used before the family name or full name: Mrs. Schultz/ Mrs. Doris Schultz