A German word for an unmarried woman or girl, equivalent to 'Miss' in English.
From German 'Fräulein,' a diminutive of 'Frau' (woman). The '-lein' suffix indicates something small or diminished in form.
The German language kept 'Fräulein' to mark women's marital status—but in 2006 Germany officially dropped it because it was seen as outdated and sexist.
German unmarked feminine form. Unlike 'Herr,' 'Fräulein' historically required marital status indication for women, enforcing social categorization. Modern German dropped this requirement; 'Frau' applies to all women regardless of marital status.
Use 'Frau' in German or 'Ms.' in English; avoid 'Fräulein' unless the speaker specifically prefers it or historical context is relevant.
["Frau","Ms.","by name"]
Women fought for parity in professional address; 'Frau' reflects this victory by removing marital status gatekeeping.
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