ms

1 of 3

abbreviation (1)

millisecond

Ms.

2 of 3

noun

variants US Ms. or British Ms
plural Mss. or Mses. ˈmi-zəz How to pronounce Ms. (audio)
used as a conventional title of courtesy before a woman's surname
My history teacher is Ms. Judson
used instead of Miss or Mrs. (as when the marital status of a woman is unknown or irrelevant)
Ms. Mary Smith
"I think you do want to dispute the fact that you had a difficult childhood," Ms. Johnston told Mrs. Gore, who was silent for several beats, then agreed.Katha Pollitt
But it wasn't until the 1970s that Ms. took its place in the emerging women's liberation movement. It was a heady time for women, and the new prefix represented an important new way for them to define themselves as individuals, rather than in terms of their relationship to men.Carol Toller

MS

3 of 3

abbreviation (2)

1
[Italian mano sinistra] left hand
2
manuscript
3
master of science
4
military science
5
Mississippi
6
motor ship
7
multiple sclerosis

Examples of ms in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In October 2022, Shefqet Kastrati bought a $7.5 million house in Indian Creek, Fla., land records show, a property that is near where Ms. Trump and Mr. Kushner now live. Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Purcell Marian junior Dee Alexander named back-to-back Ms. Basketball winner. – New here? Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024 The attractions beckon Mimi Maynard, who runs a production company with Ms. Gallo and a third partner. Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Mar. 2024 But the next day, Ms. Ladner and her sister were on their way back to Mississippi. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 The original is currently in the Kyoto Costume Institute, meaning that the Balenciaga ateliers in Paris designed and recreated the dress for Ms. Mulligan using only sketches, photographs, and a swatch as guides. Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 On the guest list this year was Ms. Donatella Versace herself, who attended alongside Charlotte Tilbury, Smokey Robinson, Avril Lavigne, and more. David Graver, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 Then Washington picked sides, fearing that Ms. Hurtado’s rise could leave Mr. Valadao and Mr. Mathys as the top two finishers on Tuesday. Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Beyond a nakba? When Israeli tanks rolled in and shelled the UNRWA school, Ms. Haddad, her two sons, their wives, and her grandchildren left Khan Yunis through a safe corridor, heading to the outskirts of Rafah. Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ms.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably blend of Miss and Mrs.

First Known Use

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ms was in 1901

Dictionary Entries Near ms

Cite this Entry

“Ms.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ms. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Ms.

noun
plural Mss. or Mses. ˈmiz-əz How to pronounce Ms. (audio)
used instead of Miss or Mrs. (as when it is unknown or unimportant whether the woman addressed is married or single)
Etymology

Noun

probably a combination of Miss and Mrs.

Medical Definition

ms

1 of 2 abbreviation
millisecond

MS

2 of 2 abbreviation
1
mass spectrometry
2
master of science
3
multiple sclerosis

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