noun
Ms
MIHZ
noun
1
A title placed before a woman's name that doesn't reveal whether she is married.
"Please address the letter to Ms. Patel."
"She prefers Ms. to Miss or Mrs. on official forms."
How to Use Ms
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA neutral title for a woman, like "Mr." is for a man — it doesn't say if she's married.
Common mistake
Don't assume Ms. means unmarried — that's what Miss is for. Ms. is deliberately neutral.
Common pairings
Ms. Smith
address her as Ms.
Word Forms
Mss plural, Mses plural
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Please address the letter to _____. Patel.
Etymology
Used since the 1600s as a shortened form of "mistress" (the same root that gave us "Miss" and "Mrs."). It became widely popular in 1971 after the launch of Ms. magazine, as a way to address women without publicising their marital status.