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This article is about the title. For other uses, see MR.

"Mister" is the most commonly used English honorific for men. The title derived from Master, as the equivalent female titles, Mrs, Miss, and Ms, all derived from the archaic Mistress. The title Master was retained and used for boys and young men, but is now rarely used.

In writing, "Mister" is almost always abbreviated "Mr." or "Mr" when used with the person's name. As with most abbreviations of titles, in the United States and Canada a period follows the abbreviated form, while in most Commonwealth countries (other than Canada), the period is not used.

Plural forms are "Misters" and "Messieurs" (French pronunciation: [mesjø]; often anglicised as: /['mesə(r)z]/), both abbreviated "Messrs" or "Messrs.". The latter and the abbreviation are from the traditional French title. Formal written address to related men with common surnames may be in the form "The Misters Smith," "The Messieurs Smith," or "The Messrs. Smith".^[1]

[edit] Usage

When addressing someone directly, Mr is usually used with the last name only ("May I help you, Mr Ericson?"). In other circumstances, it can be used with either the last name or the full name ("This is Mr James Ericson."; "Would you please help Mr Ericson?"). In formal written address, it is usually used along with the full name, or with initials and surname.

When a man's name is unknown, "mister" is sometimes used informally by itself in direct address, as in, "Hello, mister," or "Are you all right, mister?" Though not necessarily meant disrespectfully, to many people such usage sounds rude, or makes the speaker seem uneducated. Rather, the term "Sir" is preferred in this case.

All males in the United States may use the title socially, even if one holds a professional, political, or other title, such as "Dr." which some also use in social circumstances. In countries with formal class structures, the title "Mister" may be taken as an insult or considered improper if used to refer to a person who holds a title which is considered socially higher.

In some American subcultures, including the Southern United States and in some urban communities, Mr. is often used along with only the first name to indicate familiarity and respect. Some children are encouraged to use this form when referring to or addressing adults.

In past centuries, Mr. was used with a first name to distinguish among family members who might otherwise be confused in conversation: Mr. Smith would be the eldest present; younger brothers or cousins were then referred to as Mr. James Smith and Mr. Robert Smith and so on. Such usage survived longer in family-owned business or when domestic servants were referring to adult male family members with the same surname: “Mr. Robert and Mr. Richard will be out this evening, but Mr. Edward is dining in”, but such usage today is rare.

[edit] Historic Etiquette

Historically, Mr, like Sir, once indicated an ill-defined social status only applied to gentlemen or persons above one's own station as a mark of respect. This understanding is all but obsolete today.

[edit] Professional titles

"Mr." is sometimes combined with certain titles (Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Justice, Mr. Dean). The female equivalent is Madam. All of these except Mr. Justice are used in direct address and without the name. The title Mr. Justice is not used in direct address. In certain professional contexts in different regions, "Mr." has specific meanings; the following are some examples.

[edit] Warrant Officers

In the United States Military with the exception of the Air Force, Warrant Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are addressed as Mister. In the British Armed Forces, a Warrant Officer is addressed as staff (Army) or Chief (RN) by non-officers, and 'Mr Smith' (for example) by commissioned officers.

[edit] Judges

In the Courts of England and Wales, Judges of the High Court are called, for example Mr Justice Crane (unless they are entitled to be addressed as Lord Justice). Where a forename is necessary to avoid ambiguity it is always used, for example Mr Justice Robert Goff to distinguish from a predecessor Mr Justice Goff. The female equivalent is Mrs Justice Hallett, not Madam Justice Hallett. When more than one judge is sitting and one needs to be specific, one would refer to My Lord, Mr Justice Crane. High Court Judges are entitled to be styled with the prefix The Honourable while holding office: e.g. the Honourable Mr Justice Robert Goff. In writing, such as in the law reports, the titles "Mr Justice" or "Mrs Justice" are both abbreviated to a "J" placed after the name. For example, Crane J would be substituted for Mr Justice Crane.^[2]

The Chief Justice of the United States may be referred to as either "Mr. Chief Justice" or "Chief Justice Roberts."

[edit] Surgeons

In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, and Australia, medical practitioners who have been admitted to any of the Royal Surgical Colleges discontinue use of the "Doctor" title and revert to using "Mr", "Miss" or "Mrs". This system (which applies only to surgeons, not physicians) has its origins in the 16th century, when surgeons were barber-surgeons and did not have a degree (or indeed any formal qualification), unlike physicians, who held a university medical degree. Veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland adopt the titles "Mr", "Mrs" or "Miss".

[edit] Roman Catholic clerics

Among Roman Catholic clergy, "Mr" is the correct title and form of address for seminarians and other students for the priesthood and was once the proper title for all secular and parish priests, the use of the title "Father" being reserved to religious clergy only. This is still the case on the continent of Europe but the use of the title "Father" for parish clergy became customary around the 1820s.^{[clarification needed]}

A diocesan seminarian is correctly addressed as "Mr", and once ordained a deacon, is addressed in formal correspondence (though rarely in conversation) as the Reverend Mister (or "The Rev Mr"). In clerical religious orders (orders which include or are primarily made up of priests), Mr is the title given to scholastics. For instance, in the Jesuits, a man preparing for priesthood who has completed the novitiate but who is not yet ordained is properly, "Mr John Smith, SJ" and is addressed verbally as "Mister Smith" -- this is to distinguish him from Jesuit brothers, and priests. (Although, before the 1820s, many Jesuit priests were also called "Mr".) Orders founded before the 16th century do not, as a rule, follow this practice: a Franciscan or Dominican, for instance, becomes a friar after novitiate and so is properly titled "Brother", or, if a cleric, "Father".

In the Catholic Church, permanent deacons (that is, deacons who are not preparing for ordination to priesthood) are styled "the Reverend Mr" in correspondence, although it has also become customary to address them simply as "Deacon John Jones".

[edit] Satirical and slang usage

"Mister" can also be used in combination with another word to refer to someone who is regarded as the personification of, or master of, a particular field or subject, especially in the fields of popular entertainment and sports, as Gordie Howe is referred to as "Mr. Hockey" or Reggie Jackson is known as "Mr. October."^[3]

In the U.S., radio talk-show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Michael Savage sometimes use Mr as an informal prefix meaning "husband of", as in Mr. Olympia Snowe. Sometimes this usage is said in a disparaging context, but not always.

[edit] Foreign equivalents

[edit] See also

Look up mister (mr.) in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

[edit] References

^ http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/columns/missmanners/story/801270.html
^ Sutherland, Douglas (1978). The English Gentleman. Debrett's Peerage Ltd.. ISBN 0-905649-18-4.
^ When does a doctor become a mister?. International Journal of Cardiology, Volume 117, Issue 3, Pages 403-403. T. Cheng

[0] ttp://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/columns/missmanners/story/801270.html

[1] Sutherland, Douglas (1978). The English Gentleman. Debrett's Peerage Ltd.. ISBN 0-905649-18-4.

[2] When does a doctor become a mister?. International Journal of Cardiology, Volume 117, Issue 3, Pages 403-403. T. Cheng

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