Mrs

mis-iz · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A title used before the surname or full name of a married woman.

  2. 2.

    A title used to address a married woman formally.

Forms

plural: Mmes

Related words

Antonyms: Mr, miss
See also: Mr, Ms, miss

Etymology

Abbreviation of "Mistress," which originally meant "woman who rules or heads" (parallel to "Master"). By the 17th century, "Mistress" had split into "Mrs" for married women and "Miss" for unmarried women. The pronunciation /ˈmɪsɪz/ developed separately from the spelling.