English honorifics
In the English language an English honorific is a title prefixing a person's name, e.g.: Miss, Ms, Mr, Sir, Mrs, Dr, Lady or Lord. They are not necessarily titles or positions that can appear without the person's name, as in the President, the Earl.
There are many forms of honorifics that are used when addressing the members of the nobility, clergy, or royalty, mostly in countries that are monarchies. These include "Your Majesty" and "Your Highness", which are often used when speaking with royalty, or "My lord/lady" to address a peer other than a Duke, who is referred to as "Your Grace".
Some honorifics distinguish the sex of the person being referred to. Some titles of the nobility and of professional honorifics such as Doctor or General are not gender specific because they were traditionally male-only professions, and women have simply adopted the associated titles.
General usage of some common titles
- Ms: (/ˈmɪz/ or /mɨz/) - default use for women regardless of marital status.
- Miss: for use by unmarried women.
- Mrs: (/ˈmɪsɨz/ or /ˈmɪsɨs/) - for use by married women.
- Mr: Mister - for men.
- Master: - for boys or very young men. Rarely used except in very formal address.
- Dr: Doctor - a person who has obtained a doctorate, such as the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). In the Commonwealth holders of a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS or MBChB) are entitled to call themselves 'Doctor'.
- Rev: Reverend - for Christian clergy
- Fr: Father - for priests in Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, and some Anglican or Episcopalian groups
- Sr: Sister - Nun or other religious sister in the Catholic Church
- Adv.: Advocate - Lawyers & Advocates. (Not used in the United States)
See also
Primary social titles in English |
|
| Feminine |
|
|
| Masculine |
|
|