Mrs.

noun

ˈmi-səz 

-səs,

 especially Southern  ˈmi-zəz,

-zəs,

 or in rapid speech in sense 1  (ˌ)miz,

 or before given names  (ˌ)mis

variants US Mrs. or British Mrs

plural Mesdames mā-ˈdäm 

-ˈdam

1

a

—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 married woman's surname

spoke to Mrs. Doe

b

—used before the name of a place (such as a country or city) or of a profession or activity (such as a sport) or before some epithet (such as clever) to form a title applied to a married woman viewed or recognized as representative of the thing indicated

Mrs. Golf

2

: wife

left with the Mrs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the plural of Mr.?

The plural of Mr. is Messrs. There is a reason for this seemingly incongruous change: were one to simply add an s to the end of Mr. it would be indistinguishable from the honorific for a married woman, and so the plural is made by shortening the plural form of the French word for Misters (Messieurs).

What is the plural of Mrs.?

The plural of Mrs. is Mmes., a shortening of the French plural Mesdames. English borrowed the French plural for this honorific after adopting Messrs. for the plural of Mr.. This was done because it would have been difficult to otherwise distinguish Mr. from Mrs. had we formed the plural by simply adding an s to it.

How do you pluralize Ms. and Miss?

Miss (an unmarried woman or girl) is pluralized as Misses. Ms. (a woman for whom the marital status is either unknown or irrelevant) may be pluralized as either Mss. or Mses.

Synonyms

• helpmate
• helpmeet
• lady
• madam
• missus
• missis
• old lady
• wife
• wifey
• woman [chiefly dialect]

Examples of Mrs. in a Sentence

“How nice to see you! How's the Mrs.?” inquired the charming older gentleman

Recent Examples on the Web

But on July 29, 1919, Mrs. Elsa Wentz returned to an empty carriage. —Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 3 May 2025

The cinematic clip was shot in downtown Los Angeles on 35mm film and visually nods to the film Mr. & Mrs. Smith, with frontman Adam Levine and Lisa in a contentious relationship. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2025

Fittingly, the show overflows with talent from the ballet world (hi, Tiler Peck and Unity Phelan!), though Sherman-Palladino fans will also recognize Luke Kirby, who played Lenny Bruce on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 2 May 2025

The accompanying music video, shot on 35mm film and directed by Aerin Moreno, draws inspiration from Mr. & Mrs. Smith. —Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 2 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Mrs. abbreviation of mistress; Mesdames from French, plural of Madame

First Known Use

circa 1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

Mrs.

noun

ˌmis-əz 

-əs,

 especially Southern  ˌmiz-əz,

-əs,

 or  (ˌ)miz

plural Mesdames mā-ˈdäm 

-ˈdam

1

—used as a title before a married woman's last name

2

—used to form a title for a woman who represents the thing indicated

Mrs. Clever

Mrs. Golf

Etymology

an abbreviation of mistress

Medical Definition

MRS

abbreviation

magnetic resonance spectroscopy