Mrs.

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 in the upper class. Writers who used ''Mrs'' for unmarried women include Daniel Defoe, Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, and Samuel Johnson. The split into ''Mrs'' for married women and ''Miss'' for unmarried began during the 17th century, but was not reliable until well into the 19th 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

Originally, Mrs was used with a woman's own first name and married surname. Abigail Adams, for example, was addressed as Mrs. Abigail Adams. In the 19th century, it became common to use the husband's first name instead of the wife's. Jane Austen gave some of the earliest examples of that form when she wrote of Mrs. John Dashwood. By the early 20th century, that usage was standard, and the forms ''Mrs Jane Smith'', ''Mrs Miller'' (wife of John Smith), or ''Mrs Miller-Smith'' were considered incorrect by many etiquette writers. Many feminists (such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman) objected, but they disagreed on whether the problem was the title ''Mrs'' or the husband's first name or the husband's surname.

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 because it was difficult to change names and titles when they had already established a career. Women who became famous or well known in their professional circles before marriage often kept their birth names, stage names, or pen names. ''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.

See also

* Mr
* Ms
* Mx
* Personal name

References

External links

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{{Social titles

Honorifics
Women's social titles
History of women in the United Kingdom
History of women in the United States