Below is a list of frequently asked questions for the 2025 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit. If you have a question you do not see below, visit the Contact Us page and select Meetings from the drop down menu. Click below to be directed to questions about: What venues host the Meeting?
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 plural of Mrs. is Mmes., a shortening of the French plural Mesdames. English borrowed the French plural for this honorific after adopting Messrs. for the plural of Mr..
Mr. and Mrs. are typically used as titles or honorifics before a person’s name to show respect. Traditionally, Mr. is used before the names of men and boys while Mrs. is used before the names of married women.
In English, personal titles like Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Miss are used before a person’s last name (or full name) to show respect, gender, and marital status. However, these titles have different meanings and are used in different situations.
Mrs. is a title used for a married woman. The more neutral title Ms. can be used instead for a woman whose marital status is unknown or irrelevant or who expresses a preference for this mode of address.
Miss is traditionally used as a polite way of addressing or referring to a young, unmarried woman. It would normally be followed by a last name, although in certain parts of the American South it could be considered good form to use Miss with a first name.
“Ms.” is a shortening of “miss,” which is also derived from “mistress.” Historically, it was used for any woman regardless of marital status. It’s been used as an honorific since the mid-17th century, but it was less common than “Mrs.” until the 20th century.
Mr. and Mrs. are typically used as titles or honorifics before a person’s name to show respect. Traditionally, Mr. is used before the names of men and boys while Mrs. is used before the names of married women.