Mrs.
Encyclopedia
Mrs or Mrs. (USA, Canada) (Standard English pronunciation /mɪsəz/, like the word misses) is a honorific used for women, usually for those who are married and who do not instead use another title, such as Dr
, Lady
, or Dame
. In most Commonwealth
countries, a full stop (period) is not used with the title. In the United States, Canada and South Africa a period is used (see Abbreviation).
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. The split into Mrs for married women from Ms
and Miss
began during the 17th century.
It is rare for Mrs to be written in a non-abbreviated form and lacks a standard phonetic spelling. In literature it may appear as missus or missis in dialogue, and a variant in the works of Thomas Hardy
and others is "Mis'ess", reflecting its etymology
. Misses has been used but is ambiguous as this is also used as a plural for Miss. The plural of Mrs is from the French: Mesdames. This may be used as is in written correspondence, or may be abbreviated Mmes.
was and still is addressed with the same title as when she was married. Mrs was rarely used before a woman's first name, maiden name, or before a hyphenated surname her husband was not using. For example, Mrs Jane Miller (wife of John Smith), Mrs Jane Smith, or Mrs Jane Miller-Smith were considered incorrect by many etiquette writers, especially of the early 20th century.
Mrs was often used as a default for all women regardless of marital status, following the custom of some European countries. In several languages the title for married women, such as Madame, Señora, Signora, or Frau, is the direct feminine equivalent of the title used for men; the title for unmarried women is a diminutive: Mademoiselle, Señorita, Signorina, or Fräulein
. For this reason, usage had shifted towards using the married title as the default for all women in professional usage. This had long been followed in the United Kingdom for some high-ranking household staff, such as housekeepers, cooks, and nannies
, who were called Mrs as a mark of respect regardless of marital status. However, the marital-neutral Ms
then became the default title for women professionally and socially in the latter 20th century.
In the United Kingdom the traditional form for a divorcée
was Mrs Jane Smith. In the U.S., the divorcée originally retained her full married name unless she remarried. Later, the form Mrs Miller Smith was sometimes used, with the birth surname in place of the first name. However, the form Mrs Jane Miller eventually became widely used for divorcées, even in formal correspondence.
Before social mores relaxed to the point where single women with children were socially acceptable, the unwed mother was often advised by etiquette
mavens like Emily Post
to use Mrs with her maiden name to avoid scrutiny.
The separation of Miss and Mrs became problematic as more women entered the white-collar
workforce. Women who became famous or well known in their professional circles before marriage often kept their birth names, stage names, or noms de plume. Miss became the appellation for celebrities (e.g., Miss Helen Hayes
, or Miss Amelia Earhart
) but this also proved problematic, as when a married woman did use her husband’s name but was still referred to as Miss; see more at Ms
and Miss
.
Many married women still use the title with their husband's last name, but retaining their first name, Mrs Jane Smith, while many have eschewed the title completely in professional life, utilizing Ms. Any choice of title, first, and last name is considered acceptable both socially and professionally today.
Modern etiquette
has no absolute rules as how to address married couples in which the wife uses her own last name, or uses a title such as Dr or Mayor. Etiquette writer Judith Martin (Miss Manners) generally advises in non-standard situations, the individuals be addressed in separate lines on invitations (Dr Sue Martin/Mr John Martin).
In direct address, a woman with the title Mrs may be addressed Ms [Lastname], or with the stand alone Madam
or Ma'am, though these are most often used for all adult women regardless of marital status in modern conversation.
Doctor (title)
Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...
, Lady
Lady
The word lady is a polite term for a woman, specifically the female equivalent to, or spouse of, a lord or gentleman, and in many contexts a term for any adult woman...
, or Dame
Dame (title)
The title of Dame is the female equivalent of the honour of knighthood in the British honours system . It is also the equivalent form address to 'Sir' for a knight...
. In most Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
countries, a full stop (period) is not used with the title. In the United States, Canada and South Africa a period is used (see Abbreviation).
Mrs originated as a contraction
Contraction (grammar)
A contraction is a shortened version of the written and spoken forms of a word, syllable, or word group, created by omission of internal letters....
of the honorific Mistress
Mistress (form of address)
Mistress is an old form of address for a woman. It implies "lady of the house", especially a woman who is head of a household.An example is Mistress Quickly in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. The title did not necessarily distinguish between married and unmarried women.The title Mrs. is...
, the feminine of Mister, or Master
Master (form of address)
Master is an archaic masculine title or form of address in English.- In English and Welsh society :Master was used in England for men of some rank, especially "free masters" of a trade guild and by any manual worker or servant employee to his employer , but also generally by those lower in status...
, which was originally applied to both married and unmarried women. The split into Mrs for married women from Ms
Ms.
Ms. or Ms is an English honorific used with the last name or full name of a woman. According to The Emily Post Institute, Ms...
and Miss
Miss
Miss is an English language honorific traditionally used only for an unmarried woman . Originating in the 17th century, it is a contraction of mistress, which was used for all women. A period is not used to signify the contraction...
began during the 17th century.
It is rare for Mrs to be written in a non-abbreviated form and lacks a standard phonetic spelling. In literature it may appear as missus or missis in dialogue, and a variant in the works of Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
and others is "Mis'ess", reflecting its etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
. Misses has been used but is ambiguous as this is also used as a plural for Miss. The plural of Mrs is from the French: Mesdames. This may be used as is in written correspondence, or may be abbreviated Mmes.
Traditional usage
Mrs was most often used by women when married, conjunction with her husband's first and last names (e.g., Mrs John Smith). A widowWidow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
was and still is addressed with the same title as when she was married. Mrs was rarely used before a woman's first name, maiden name, or before a hyphenated surname her husband was not using. For example, Mrs Jane Miller (wife of John Smith), Mrs Jane Smith, or Mrs Jane Miller-Smith were considered incorrect by many etiquette writers, especially of the early 20th century.
Mrs was often used as a default for all women regardless of marital status, following the custom of some European countries. In several languages the title for married women, such as Madame, Señora, Signora, or Frau, is the direct feminine equivalent of the title used for men; the title for unmarried women is a diminutive: Mademoiselle, Señorita, Signorina, or Fräulein
Fräulein
Fräulein is the German language honorific previously in common use for unmarried women, comparable to Miss in English. Fräulein is the diminutive form of Frau, which was previously reserved only for married women. Since the 1970s, Fräulein has come to be used less often, and was banned from...
. For this reason, usage had shifted towards using the married title as the default for all women in professional usage. This had long been followed in the United Kingdom for some high-ranking household staff, such as housekeepers, cooks, and nannies
Nanny
A nanny, childminder or child care provider, is an individual who provides care for one or more children in a family as a service...
, who were called Mrs as a mark of respect regardless of marital status. However, the marital-neutral Ms
MS
MS may refer to:* Ms., an honorific title for women* Ms. , an American feminist magazine* Manuscript, a hand-written document- Geography and linguistics :* Mississippi, a state in the United States of America...
then became the default title for women professionally and socially in the latter 20th century.
In the United Kingdom the traditional form for a divorcée
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
was Mrs Jane Smith. In the U.S., the divorcée originally retained her full married name unless she remarried. Later, the form Mrs Miller Smith was sometimes used, with the birth surname in place of the first name. However, the form Mrs Jane Miller eventually became widely used for divorcées, even in formal correspondence.
Before social mores relaxed to the point where single women with children were socially acceptable, the unwed mother was often advised by etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
mavens like Emily Post
Emily Post
Emily Post was an American author famous for writing on etiquette.-Background:Post was born as Emily Price in Baltimore, Maryland, into privilege as the only daughter of architect Bruce Price and his wife Josephine Lee Price of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania...
to use Mrs with her maiden name to avoid scrutiny.
The separation of Miss and Mrs became problematic as more women entered the white-collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
workforce. Women who became famous or well known in their professional circles before marriage often kept their birth names, stage names, or noms de plume. Miss became the appellation for celebrities (e.g., Miss Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes Brown was an American actress whose career spanned almost 70 years. She eventually garnered the nickname "First Lady of the American Theatre" and was one of twelve people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award...
, or Miss Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
) but this also proved problematic, as when a married woman did use her husband’s name but was still referred to as Miss; see more at Ms
MS
MS may refer to:* Ms., an honorific title for women* Ms. , an American feminist magazine* Manuscript, a hand-written document- Geography and linguistics :* Mississippi, a state in the United States of America...
and Miss
Miss
Miss is an English language honorific traditionally used only for an unmarried woman . Originating in the 17th century, it is a contraction of mistress, which was used for all women. A period is not used to signify the contraction...
.
Modern usage
It is now less common for a woman to be addressed using her husband's first name, except when the couple is being addressed jointly, such as in Mr and Mrs Caleb Klapp.Many married women still use the title with their husband's last name, but retaining their first name, Mrs Jane Smith, while many have eschewed the title completely in professional life, utilizing Ms. Any choice of title, first, and last name is considered acceptable both socially and professionally today.
Modern etiquette
Etiquette
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...
has no absolute rules as how to address married couples in which the wife uses her own last name, or uses a title such as Dr or Mayor. Etiquette writer Judith Martin (Miss Manners) generally advises in non-standard situations, the individuals be addressed in separate lines on invitations (Dr Sue Martin/Mr John Martin).
In direct address, a woman with the title Mrs may be addressed Ms [Lastname], or with the stand alone Madam
Madam
Madam, or madame, is a polite title used for women which, in English, is the equivalent of Mrs. or Ms., and is often found abbreviated as "ma'am", and less frequently as "ma'm". It is derived from the French madame, which means "my lady", the feminine form of lord; the plural of ma dame in this...
or Ma'am, though these are most often used for all adult women regardless of marital status in modern conversation.
Non-English equivalents
- Afrikaans: Mevrou (Mev.)
- Albanian: Zonjë (Znj.)
- Amharic: ወይዘሮ (Woyzero, Wrz.)
- Arabic: ﺳﻴﺪه (Sayyidah)
- Armenian: Տիկին (Tikin)
- Assyrian: ܡܝܩܪܬܐ (Myaqarto/Myaqurta)
- Azeri: Xanım
- Belarusian: Спадарыня Spadarynia (read: -nya), Панi (Pani)
- Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian: Gospođa, (Serbian Cyrillic Госпођа) (G-đa or Gđa., Г-ђа or Гђа.)
- Brazil: Senhora (Sra.)
- Bulgarian: Госпожа (Gospozha) (Г-жа G-ja),
- Burmese: Daw
- Catalan: Senyora (Sra.)
- Chinese 太太 (Tàitai), 夫人 (Fūren)
- Czech: Paní (Pí.)
- Croatian: Gospođa (Gđa)
- Danish: Fru (Fr.)
- Dholuo: Min
- Dutch: Mevrouw (Mevr. or Mw.)
- Esperanto: Sinjorino (S-ino)
- Estonian: Proua (Pr.)
- Finnish: Rouva (Rva)
- Filipino: Ginang (Gng.)
- French: Madame (Mme)
- Galician: Dona (Dna.)
- Georgian: ქალბატონი (K'albatoni)
- German: Frau (Fr., abbreviation rarely used)
- Greek: Κυρία, Kyría, (abbr. Κα, Ka) literally: Lady; plural Κυρίες, Kyríes (abbr. Κες, kes), literally: Ladies. Unlike English practice, these styles are never to be used for the deceased; in such cases, styles of religious connotation (the blessed or forgiven, etc.) are used.
- Hebrew: גברת (Gveret)
- Hindi: श्रीमती (Śrīmatī)
- Hungarian: asszony, -né
- Icelandic: Frú (Fr.)
- Ido: Sioro or Siorino (Sro.; Sr-no.), the former being used both for men or women, and the latter being specific for (usually married) women.
- Indonesian: Nyonya (Ny.)
- Irish: Bean (Bn)
- Italian: Signora (Sig.ra)
- Japanese: 夫人 (ふじん) (Fujin)
- Kannada: ಶ್ರೀಮತಿ (Śrīmatī)
- Kazakh: Ханым (Khanym)
- Khmer: អ្នកស្រី (Neak Srey), លោកស្រី (Lork Srey)
- Korean: 부인 (Buin)
- Kotava:
- Kurdish: Brajn, Xanm
- Latvian: Kundze
- Lithuanian: Ponia
- Macedonian: Госпоѓа, (Gospogja) (abbreviation: Gga or G-ga; in Cyrilic: Г-ѓа or Гѓа). Used for all married women.
- Malay: Puan
- Malayalam: ശ്രീമതി (Śrīmati)
- Maltese: Sinjura
- Marathi: सौभाग्यवती Saubhāgyavatī (सौ Sau)
- Mongolian: Хатагтай (Hatagtai)
- Norwegian: Fru (Fr.)
- Occitan: Dòna (Da.)
- Oriya: Srimati
- Persian: خانم (Khanum), formal: بانو (Banu)
- Polish: Pani (P.)
- Portuguese: Senhora (Srª.)
- Punjabi: ਸਰਦਾਰਨੀ (Sardarni) (ਸਦਨ Sdn.)
- Romanian: Doamnă (Dna)
- Russian: Госпожа (Gospozha) (Г-жа G-zha)
- Sanskrit: श्रीमती (Śrīmatī)
- Scots Gaelic: Bean (Be.)
- Serbian: Gospodja, Gospođa (Госпођа) (Gdja. Gđa. Гђа.)
- Sinhala: මහත්මිය (Mahathmiya), Honorary address මැතිණිය (Mäthiniya)
- Slovak: Pani (p.)
- Slovenian: Gospa (Ga.)
- Somali: Marwo (Marwo)
- Spanish: Señora (Sra.)
- Swahili: Bibi (Bi.)
- Swedish: Fru (Fr.)
- Tamil: திருமதி (Thirumathi)
- Telugu: శ్రీమతి (Śrīmatī)
- Thai: นาง (Nang)
- Tswana: Mma
- Turkish: Bayan (Byn.), Hanım, Hanımefendi
- UkrainianUkrainian languageUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
: - Urdu: Begum, Mohatarma
- Vietnamese: Bà (B.)
- Welsh: Bonesig
- Yoruba: "Iyaafin"