Mrs.
honorific
Quick Summary
"Mrs." is a title of courtesy used before a married woman's surname. It is an abbreviation of "mistress," which explains the presence of the "r" despite the common pronunciation of "missus". Historically, "Mrs." did not necessarily indicate marital status but rather a woman of social standing. The title "Ms." emerged in the 1970s as a way to address women without reference to their marital status. "Ms." is a blend of "Miss" and "Mrs.".123
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
4 Britannica Sources
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
