ms

1 of 3

abbreviation (1)

millisecond

Ms.

2 of 3

noun

variants US Ms. or British Ms
plural Mss. or Mses. ˈmi-zəz How to pronounce Ms. (audio)
used as a conventional title of courtesy before a woman's surname
My history teacher is Ms. Judson
used instead of Miss or Mrs. (as when the marital status of a woman is unknown or irrelevant)
Ms. Mary Smith
"I think you do want to dispute the fact that you had a difficult childhood," Ms. Johnston told Mrs. Gore, who was silent for several beats, then agreed.Katha Pollitt
But it wasn't until the 1970s that Ms. took its place in the emerging women's liberation movement. It was a heady time for women, and the new prefix represented an important new way for them to define themselves as individuals, rather than in terms of their relationship to men.Carol Toller

MS

3 of 3

abbreviation (2)

1
[Italian mano sinistra] left hand
2
manuscript
3
master of science
4
military science
5
Mississippi
6
motor ship
7
multiple sclerosis

Examples of ms in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
After pledging significant amounts of money to help the thriving business continue to grow, a minor dispute arose between Ms. Pomasan and the other business partners of the company about its vision on expansion. Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 31 Oct. 2024 Additionally, Patricia ‘Ms. Pat’ Williams has extended her overall deal with BET Media Group to include linear and streaming projects. Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024 Their tender care for the body and the reaction of Ms. Yan at finally having her wishes respected is heartbreakingly beautiful to witness. Richard Kuipers, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024 Where to watch or stream: PBS Kids, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, Hulu, Pluto TV, Fandango at Home Ms. Rachel Ms. Rachel has created a variety of videos for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers that include songs, nursery rhymes, colors, numbers, emotions, and more. Sarah Scott, Parents, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ms 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably blend of Miss and Mrs.

First Known Use

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ms was in 1901

Dictionary Entries Near ms

Cite this Entry

“Ms.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ms. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Ms.

noun
plural Mss. or Mses. ˈmiz-əz How to pronounce Ms. (audio)
used instead of Miss or Mrs. (as when it is unknown or unimportant whether the woman addressed is married or single)
Etymology

Noun

probably a combination of Miss and Mrs.

Medical Definition

ms

1 of 2 abbreviation
millisecond

MS

2 of 2 abbreviation
1
mass spectrometry
2
master of science
3
multiple sclerosis

More from Merriam-Webster on ms

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!