Mr.

1 of 2

noun

ˈmi-stər How to pronounce Mr. (audio)
 in rapid speech especially in sense 2  (ˌ)mis(t)
variants US Mr. or British Mr
plural Messrs. ˈme-sərz How to pronounce Mr. (audio)
1
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 man's surname
spoke to Mr. Doe
2
used in direct address as a conventional title of respect before a man's title of office
May I ask one more question, Mr. President?
3
used before the name of a place, profession, or activity or before an epithet (such as clever) to form a title applied to a male viewed as representative of the thing indicated
Mr. Baseball

mR

2 of 2

abbreviation

milliroentgen

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Mr. from Middle English, abbreviation of maister master; Messrs. abbreviation of Messieurs, from French, plural of Monsieur

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Mr. was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mr..” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mr.. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

Mr.

noun
plural Messrs. ˌmes-ərz How to pronounce Mr. (audio)
1
used as a title before a man's last name or title of office
Mr. Doe
Mr. President
2
used to form a title for a man who represents the thing indicated
Mr. Punctuality
Mr. Baseball
Etymology

Noun

Middle English Mr., an abbreviation of master

Medical Definition

mR

1 of 2 abbreviation
milliroentgen

MR

2 of 2 abbreviation
magnetic resonance
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