Mrs.

noun

ˈmi-səz 

-səs,

 especially Southern  ˈmi-zəz,

-zəs,

 or in rapid speech in sense 1  (ˌ)miz,

 or before given names  (ˌ)mis

variants US Mrs. or British Mrs

plural Mesdames mā-ˈdäm 

-ˈdam

1

a

—used as a conventional title of courtesy except when usage requires the substitution of a title of rank or an honorific or professional title before a married woman's surname

spoke to Mrs. Doe

b

—used before the name of a place (such as a country or city) or of a profession or activity (such as a sport) or before some epithet (such as clever) to form a title applied to a married woman viewed or recognized as representative of the thing indicated

Mrs. Golf

2

: wife

left with the Mrs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the plural of Mr.?

The plural of Mr. is Messrs. There is a reason for this seemingly incongruous change: were one to simply add an s to the end of Mr. it would be indistinguishable from the honorific for a married woman, and so the plural is made by shortening the plural form of the French word for Misters (Messieurs).

What is the plural of Mrs.?

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.. This was done because it would have been difficult to otherwise distinguish Mr. from Mrs. had we formed the plural by simply adding an s to it.

How do you pluralize Ms. and Miss?

Miss (an unmarried woman or girl) is pluralized as Misses. Ms. (a woman for whom the marital status is either unknown or irrelevant) may be pluralized as either Mss. or Mses.

Synonyms

• helpmate
• helpmeet
• lady
• madam
• missus
• missis
• old lady
• wife
• wifey
• woman [chiefly dialect]

Examples of Mrs. in a Sentence

“How nice to see you! How's the Mrs.?” inquired the charming older gentleman

Recent Examples on the Web

The elves are working tirelessly in the workshop, Mrs. Claus is baking cookies, and the reindeer are training hard for the big night. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

Looking festive without actually looking like Mrs. Claus. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 15 Dec. 2024

There are fire pits, lanterns, a jingle bell shuttle ride, concerts from regional musicians, Santa and Mrs. Claus, an Elf Shop where kids can make crafts, and candlelight tours. —Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 15 Dec. 2024

Around the midpoint of the first season, Helen spots Dani (Agnes O'Casey), who is revealed to be a Black Doves operative monitoring Helen’s activities under the instruction of Mrs. Reed. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Mrs. abbreviation of mistress; Mesdames from French, plural of Madame

First Known Use

circa 1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

Mrs.

noun

ˌmis-əz 

-əs,

 especially Southern  ˌmiz-əz,

-əs,

 or  (ˌ)miz

plural Mesdames mā-ˈdäm 

-ˈdam

1

—used as a title before a married woman's last name

2

—used to form a title for a woman who represents the thing indicated

Mrs. Clever

Mrs. Golf

Etymology

an abbreviation of mistress

Medical Definition

MRS

abbreviation

magnetic resonance spectroscopy