Ms en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- məz (UK)
- /məz/ (UK)
- /ˈmɪs/ (US)
- mĭzʹ (UK)
- mĭzʹ (US)
- /ˈmɪz/ (US)
- mĭsʹ (US)
- (US) audio
- /ˈmɪz/ (UK)
Etymology
Found since the 1600s as an abbreviation of mistress (whence also Miss and Mrs), a title which initially did not indicate marital status. Suggestions that the term be revived began in 1901, and referenced the fact that dialects such as Southern US English already made no distinction between Miss and Mrs (/ˈmɪz/) in speech. With the founding of the magazine Ms. in 1971, the term quickly became widespread as an alternative to Miss and Mrs., which require knowing (and publicizing) the referent's marital status.
Meanings
-
Title used before an adult woman's name or surname, especially when it is not desired or possible to indicate her marital status with Miss or Mrs.
Ms Jane Doe; Ms. Roe
‘[…] I don’t know how to thank you for this, Mrs Stevenson.’ ‘It’s Ms to my business associates and Anna to you,’ […]
1995, Stephen King, “The Kindness of Strangers”, in Rose Madder, London: BCA [Book Club Associates], →OCLC, section 7, page 55:
-
Title used for a woman before a place, name, thing, or description that she is supposed to typify or represent.
Ms Efficiency and Ms Right
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| M/s | alternative | lexicographic | |
| Mses | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| Mss | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| Ms. | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
Translations (23)
de Frau (title) · eo s-ino (title) · pl panna (title) · gl Señora (title) · el Δδα (title) · sv fru (title) · mk госпоѓица (title) · it Sig.ra (title) · mk госпоѓа (title) · zh 女士 (title) · gl Dona (title) · ru госпожа́ (title) · fr Mme (title) · es Sra. (title) · ru г-жа (title) · ka ქ-ნი (title) · af ms (title) · el Δις (title) · es Señora (title) · gl Sra. (title) · km អ្នកនាង (title) · dsb kněni (title) · pl panienka (title)