mademoiselle

noun

ma·​de·​moi·​selle ˌmad-mwə-ˈzel How to pronounce mademoiselle (audio)
ˌma-də-,
-mə-ˈzel,
 sometimes  mam-ˈzel
plural mademoiselles ˌmad-mwə-ˈzelz How to pronounce mademoiselle (audio)
ˌma-də-,
-mə-ˈzelz
or mesdemoiselles ˌmād-mwə-ˈzel How to pronounce mademoiselle (audio)
ˌmā-də-,
-mə-ˈzel
1
: an unmarried French girl or woman
used as a title equivalent to Miss for an unmarried woman not of English-speaking nationality
2
: a French governess
3

Word History

Etymology

Middle English madamoiselle, from Middle French, from Old French ma damoisele, literally, my (young) lady

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mademoiselle was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mademoiselle

Cite this Entry

“Mademoiselle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mademoiselle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mademoiselle

noun
ma·​de·​moi·​selle ˌmad-(ə-)mə-ˈzel How to pronounce mademoiselle (audio)
-mwə-ˈzel;
mam-ˈzel
plural mademoiselles -ˈzelz How to pronounce mademoiselle (audio) or mesdemoiselles ˌmād-(ə-)mə-ˈzel How to pronounce mademoiselle (audio)
-mwə-ˈzel
used by or to French-speaking people as a title equivalent to Miss

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