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
Noun
Then Washington picked sides, fearing that Ms. Hurtado’s rise could leave Mr. Valadao and Mr. Mathys as the top two finishers on Tuesday. Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Beyond a nakba? When Israeli tanks rolled in and shelled the UNRWA school, Ms. Haddad, her two sons, their wives, and her grandchildren left Khan Yunis through a safe corridor, heading to the outskirts of Rafah. Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024 Pisano, who appeared on the CBS crime drama Coyote and in the indie film Ms. Purple, was first seen on Law & Order: SVU in season 23. Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 What is certain, however, is the substantial damage that the sinking has caused, including, most ironically for Ms. Thunberg and the rest of the Green movement, the significant environmental harm. Daniel Markind, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The Mineral Resources disclosed in this news release have been estimated by Ms. Katharine M. Masun, MSA, M.Sc., P.Geo., Principal Geologist with SLR who is independent of Tinka. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2024 Until nearly the end of her life, Ms. Camber would often attend fencing competitions in Italy. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 Screenwriter Fey returns as Ms. Norbury, along with Tim Meadows, who is once again Principal Duvall. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024 In the meantime, Interpol has redacted Ms. Meixueiro’s data from its systems. Jane Bradley, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ms.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 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

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