monsieur

noun

mon·​sieur mə-ˈsyər 

-ˈsyə,

-ˈshyər,

-ˈshyə;

mə-ˈsir

plural messieurs mə-ˈsyər(z) 

-ˈsyə(z),

-ˈshyər(z),

-ˈshyə(z),

mā-;

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

Examples of monsieur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Children’s menus: croque-monsieur, brioche, ham, Gruyère cheese, béchamel, French fries and Gruyere cheeseburger and fries. —The Courier-Journal, 5 Apr. 2023

There’s a constant stream of passengers heading to the onboard restaurant, which sells small Bordeaux wine bottles and croque-monsieur. —Meg Kelly, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2022

Slagle’s recipes assume a certain worldliness on the part of the reader, but then dress it down: there’s a croque Monday (a simplified, open-faced monsieur), and a French onion white-bean bake (made with canned cannellini). —Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2022

Breakfast items include the zucchini egg white frittatas bowl, prosciutto and gruyere croissant, and croque-monsieur. —Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, azcentral, 5 Feb. 2020

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, 26 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, literally, my lord

First Known Use

1512, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing monsieur

• croque monsieur

• croque monsieur

Kids Definition

monsieur

noun

mon·​sieur məsh-(ˈ)yə(r) 

məs-,

mə-ˈsi(ə)r

plural messieurs məsh-(ˈ)yə(r)(z) 

məs-,

mās-;

mə-ˈsi(ə)r(z)

—used as a title equal to Mister for a Frenchman