ms

1 of 3

abbreviation (1)

millisecond

Ms.

2 of 3

noun

ˈmiz 

variants US Ms. or British Ms

plural Mss. or Mses. ˈmi-zəz 

—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

Corday Productions offered to renew Ms. Zucker’s contract including offering her a pay increase. —Lynette Rice, Deadline, 19 June 2024

Critics were virtually unanimous in praising Ms. Bofill’s silky, expressive voice, which found a home on the new radio format known as quiet storm. —Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 18 June 2024

According to Complex, the clip comes from Ms. Jackson’s show at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater last weekend. —Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 18 June 2024

Last year’s festival featured performances from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Conan Gray, Stray Kids and BTS’ Jung Kook, as well as Ms. Lauryn Hill, who staged a surprise Fugees reunion with former bandmates Wyclef Jean and Pras. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably blend of Miss and Mrs.

First Known Use

Noun

1901, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Ms.

noun

(ˌ)miz 

plural Mss. or Mses. ˈmiz-əz 

—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