Mr - Mister, a male, Mr Smith, Mr Jackson
Mrs - married female, Mrs Smith, or Mr X's wife, contraction of 'mistress', mind pronunciation [mɪsɪz]
Miss - unmarried woman, [mɪs]
Ms - shows no reference to a woman's marital status, as with 'Mr'. pronounced [mɪz] or [məz])
Does a married woman have to use Mrs, or can she legally use Miss?
I dont believe that the law cares at all about titles, unless that is the cause of the dispute. She would be tried as Jane Doe, if she calls herself Mrs Doe, Dr Doe, or Her Royal Highness Lady Doe of Windsor, it is of no import.
Many widows still use Mrs although they are no longer married.
And a widow should be called "miss"?
It depends upon the particular person. Some widows will continue to refer to themselves as "Mrs. John Doe" even 30 years after the passing of Mr. Doe. Others will revert to "Miss (or Ms.) Jane Roe" only months after Mr. Doe has passed.
This may be a little off track, but are there any legal requirements in using these terms?
Does a married woman have to use Mrs, or can she legally use Miss?
Or, a more extreme case, can a transsexual person simply start using a new salutation legally?
Polly
Mr - Mister, a male, Mr Smith, Mr Jackson
Mrs - married female, Mrs Smith, or Mr X's wife, contraction of 'mistress', mind pronunciation [mɪsɪz]
Miss - unmarried woman, [mɪs]
Ms - shows no reference to a woman's marital status, as with 'Mr'. pronounced [mɪz] or [məz])
And a widow should be called "miss"?
Sorry, if mine is off-topic. What about 'Madam' (contracted 'Mdm')?
'Ma'am' is used as to address the queen, though it's not a title. It is also pronounced with a short A. ;-)
Isn't it true that people of some eastern countries once under British rule prefer to address distinguished ladies (government servants/officers, business people, etc...) with "madam" or "ma'am"?
"Rhymes with 'spam'," the Duchess of York told us uneducated Colonists during her first "official" visit to the US. ;-)