miss

Miss is an English honorific used as a title before the name of an unmarried woman or girl. It originated as a shortened form of Mistress and traditionally distinguished unmarried women from married women, who were addressed as Mrs. The form is typically written as Miss before a surname or given name, such as Miss Smith or Miss Emily, and is often contrasted with Mrs. and Ms.

Etymology and history

Miss derives from the older title Mistress, itself from a Latin and French lineage meaning female head or mistress of a household. In Early Modern English, Miss became the customary form for addressing an unmarried woman and remained in common use for centuries. In the late 20th century, some style guides encouraged broader use of neutral forms like Ms. to avoid implying marital status.

Modern usage

Today, Miss is most often used for girls and young women, or for adult women who prefer the traditional form. In many professional and formal settings, Ms. is preferred when marital status is unknown or deemed irrelevant. In informal contexts, Miss may be used affectionately or familiarly, while some individuals specifically request not to be addressed by Miss.

Other meanings

Beyond its use as a title, miss can be a verb meaning to fail to hit or reach a target, to fail to notice or attend, or to feel the absence of someone or something. A miss can also refer to an error or omission in broader senses.

In culture

The form Miss is widely used in pageants and competitions, with titles such as Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss America indicating unmarried female contestants. The term also appears in literature, media, and everyday speech as a conventional courtesy form.