Mrs.
/ˈmɪsɪz/noun
A title traditionally used before the surname of a married woman.
Did you know?Mrs. began as an abbreviation of “Mistress,” which was once pronounced in full and could refer to a woman of status—not exclusively a married woman.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meg-
“Great or powerful; the reconstructed root behind later words for authority and mastery.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
megas
“Great or mighty.”
Classical Latin
Latin
magister
“Master, chief, or teacher—literally associated with being greater or superior.”
Old French
Old French
maistre
“Master or teacher, developing from Latin magister.”
14th Century
Middle English
maistresse
“A female head, teacher, or woman of authority; later also a woman in a sexual relationship with a man.”
16th Century
English
mistress
“A title for a woman, eventually abbreviated as “Mrs.”; its pronunciation gradually shifted away from the full form.”
Modern English
English
Mrs.
“A conventional title traditionally placed before the surname of a married woman.”
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