Mrs. L.C. Harris

Mrs. (American English) or Mrs (British English; standard English pronunciation: ) is a commonly used English honorific for women, usually for those who are married and who do not instead use another title (or rank), such as ''Doctor'', ''Professor'', ''President'', ''Dame'', etc. In most Commonwealth countries, a full stop (period) is usually not used with the title. In the United States and Canada a period (full stop) is usually used (see Abbreviation).

''Mrs'' originated as a contraction of the honorific ''Mistress'' (the feminine of ''Mister'' or ''Master'') which was originally applied to both married and unmarried women. The split into ''Mrs'' for married women and ''Miss'' for unmarried began during the 17th century; the 17th century also saw the coinage of a new unmarked option
'' Ms'' with a return of this usage appearing in the 20th century.

It is rare for ''Mrs'' to be written in a non-abbreviated form, and the unabbreviated word lacks a standard spelling. In literature it may appear as ''missus'' or ''missis'' in dialogue. A variant in the works of Thomas Hardy and others is "Mis'ess", reflecting its etymology. ''Misses'' has been used but is ambiguous, as this is a commonly used plural for ''Miss''. The plural of ''Mrs'' is from the French: ''Mesdames''. This may be used as-is in written correspondence, or it may be abbreviated ''Mmes''.

Traditional usage

''Mrs'' was most often used by a woman when married, in conjunction with her husband's first and last names (e.g., ''Mrs John Smith''). A widow would also be addressed with the same title as when she was married. ''Mrs'' was rarely used before a woman's first name, her birth name, or a hyphenated surname her husband was not using. For example, ''Mrs Jane Smith'', ''Mrs Miller'' (wife of John Smith), or ''Mrs Miller-Smith'' were considered incorrect by many etiquette writers, especially of the early 20th century.

In several languages, the title for married women such as ''Madame'', ''Señora'', ''Signora'', or ''Frau'', is the direct feminine equivalent of the title used for men; the title for unmarried women is a diminutive: ''Mademoiselle'', ''Señorita'', ''Signorina'', or ''Fräulein''. For this reason, usage had shifted toward using the married title as the default for all women in professional usage. This had long been followed in the United Kingdom for some high-ranking household staff, such as housekeepers, cooks, and nannies, who were called ''Mrs'' as a mark of respect regardless of marital status.

In the United Kingdom, the traditional form for a divorcée was ''Mrs Jane Smith''. In the U.S., the divorcée originally retained her full married name unless she remarried. Later, the form ''Mrs Miller Smith'' was sometimes used, with the birth surname in place of the first name. However, the form ''Mrs Jane Miller'' eventually became widely used for divorcées, even in formal correspondence; that is, ''Mrs'' preceded the divorcée's maiden name.

Before social mores relaxed to the point where single women with children were socially acceptable, the unwed mother was often advised by etiquette mavens like Emily Post to use ''Mrs'' with her maiden name to avoid scrutiny.

The separation of ''Miss'' and ''Mrs'' became problematic as more women entered the white-collar workforce. Women who became famous or well known in their professional circles before marriage often kept their birth names, stage names, or ''noms de plume''. ''Miss'' became the appellation for celebrities (e.g., Miss Helen Hayes, or Miss Amelia Earhart) but this also proved problematic, as when a married woman ''did'' use her husband’s last name but was still referred to as ''Miss''; see more at Ms and Miss.

Modern usage

It is now very uncommon for a woman to be addressed by her husband's first name; however, this still sometimes occurs if a couple is being addressed jointly, such as in ''Mr. and Mrs. John Smith''.

Many married women still use the title with their spouse's last name but retaining their first name (e.g., ''Mrs Jane Smith''). Other married women choose not to adopt their spouse's last name at all. It is generally considered polite to address a woman by ''Ms'' rather than ''Mrs'', unless the preference of the woman in question is clearly known. This is especially true in written communication, as dictated by professional etiquette.

Modern etiquette provides various options in addressing married couples in which the wife uses her own last name, or uses a title such as ''Dr'', ''Mayor'', or ''Ms''. Etiquette writer Judith Martin ("Miss Manners") generally advises that, in non-standard situations, the individuals be addressed on separate lines when writing invitations (e.g., "Dr Sue Martin/Mr John Martin").

In direct address, a woman with the title ''Mrs'' may be addressed ''Mrs astname', or with the stand-alone ''Madam'' or ''Ma'am'', although the latter two are more often used for any adult woman, regardless of marital status, in modern conversation. It is normally considered correct to address a woman as ''Ms astname', regardless of her marital status.

A woman who has a long-term sexual relationship with a partner who is married may be referred to as that person's "mistress".

See also

* Name

References

{{Social titles
Women's social titles
Honorifics