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

On the campaign trail this fall, Mr. Obama spoke in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, appealing to Black men in particular as their support for Ms. Harris was seen as wavering. —Julie Bosman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024

Kang-Chun Cheng When Ms. Biziel got her first period, the changes in her body were met with something akin to vitriol by older women in her community. —Kang-Chun Cheng, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Dec. 2024

Rihanna and Precious Lee doubled down on Ms. Tina’s scarlet lipstick, while Taylor Russell attended Tiffany & Co.’s Yorkdale opening in a pecan lip to match her no-nicure. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 2 Dec. 2024

Winner This week's Pet of the Week is Ms. Charley, a once-timid foster cat who has learned how to play—and loves it. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Nov. 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