ms

1 of 3

abbreviation (1)

millisecond

Ms.

2 of 3

noun

ˈmiz 

variants US Ms. or British Ms

plural Mss. or Mses. ˈmi-zəz 

—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

Noun

For many students like Ms. Ward, community colleges’ flexible academic offerings make college possible. —Leah Fabel, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Apr. 2024

On the other hand, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar has characters including Black Panther, Ms. Marvel, Iron Man and Hulk on its bottles and cans. —Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024

From the evidence gathered, the conclusion was that Ms. Washburn’s actions violated O.R.C. §3319.141, Collective Bargaining Agreement Section 14.01(H), a number of Board Policies, including 3432 (Sick Leave) and 3210 (Staff Ethics). —Jennifer Edwards Baker and Chancelor Winn, The Enquirer, 4 Apr. 2024

Read More: How to Make School More Equitable for All Students For Ms. S., the students have been a highlight. —Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024

Last year’s festival saw Jung Kook, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Anitta, Megan Thee Stallion and more headliners taking a stage made entirely out of repurposed and recycled materials. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 1 Apr. 2024

The film offered a sense of closure for Ms. Ewing, who died in 2022. —Thessaly La Force, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024

Her apartment has hosted countless young activists and world dignitaries over the years, besides serving as an instrumental gathering space for some of the earliest meetings of Ms. magazine, the feminist publication Steinem cofounded in 1971. —Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024

With encouragement from her husband, who died in 1997, Ms. Sonko chose to invest in other women. —Jack Thompson, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably blend of Miss and Mrs.

First Known Use

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Ms.

noun

(ˌ)miz 

plural Mss. or Mses. ˈmiz-əz 

—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