monsieur

noun mon·sieur \ məs-ˈyər , -ˈyə , məsh- ; mə-ˈsir \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of monsieur

plural messieurs play \məs-ˈyə(r)(z), məsh-, mās-; mə-ˈsir(z)\

:a Frenchman of high rank or station —used as a title equivalent to Mister and prefixed to the name of a Frenchman

Recent Examples of monsieur from the Web

After the last debutante is placed on stage, the jeunes messieurs bow to the debutantes and in turn, the young ladies do a group curtsey.

— sue strachan, NOLA.com, "Le Debut des Jeunes Filles de la Nouvelle Orleans kicks off debutante season," 26 June 2017
Her picks for the main meal: herring foam and caviar or pigs trotters for the 'rents and a croque monsieur for the tike.

— sarah rowe, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Things to Do in Paris With Kids," 24 May 2017
For lunch and dinner, escargots, pate, Prince Edward Island mussels, foie gras, two quiche varieties, Kobe beef burgers and sandwiches like croquet monsieur.

— shonda talerico dudlicek, Elgin Courier-News, "Try something different at L'Eiffel Bistrot," 17 May 2017
Who serves a croque monsieur, albondigas soup and tri-tip dressed with dry vermouth-spiked creamed spinach — in a sports bar?

— linda zavoral, The Mercury News, "San Jose: Willow Glen chef hanging up his toque (for now)," 26 Apr. 2017
ORDER THE: Corsican charcuterie (think thinly sliced ham and rustic saucissons); seared scallops; truffled croque monsieur; ham and cheese sandwich; crepe with artichokes.

— bon appétit, Bon Appetit, "L’Avant Comptoir," 13 Apr. 2017
Meat: As with a croque monsieur, the meat of choice is sliced ham.

— special to the washington post, The Denver Post, "The Monte Cristo: The fried American sandwich that’s a little bit French," 4 Apr. 2017
Obviously, a Parisien croque monsieur for lunch; for dinner, Le Terroir Parisien, Yannick Alleno's uber Parisien bistro in the 5th.

— jack dancy, Town & Country, "How to Plan a Trip to Europe," 5 Oct. 2016
Moments later a food server appeared at their table with their croque-monsieur and carved turkey sandwiches.

— bruce sterling, WIRED, "Spime Watch: Disney MyMagic+," 15 Mar. 2014

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'monsieur.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of monsieur

Middle French, literally, my lord

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1512

See Words from the same year

Other Forms of Address Terms

appellation, beatitude, brethren, emeritus, esquire, sire, sous

Learn More about monsieur

See words that rhyme with monsieur Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monsieur

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up monsieur? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

monsieur

Definition of monsieur

Recent Examples of monsieur from the Web

Origin and Etymology of monsieur

Other Forms of Address Terms

Learn More about monsieur

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

nuncupative

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

The Synonyms 'Discover' and 'Invent'

I'll Have the Us(ual)

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

The Exceptions Quiz III

Forms of Government Quiz

True or False?

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066

monsieur

Definition of monsieur

From the M-W Editors

Recent Examples of monsieur from the Web

Origin and Etymology of monsieur

Other Forms of Address Terms

Learn More about monsieur

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066