Mr, Mrs, Mx? UK institutions roll out new gender-neutral title

A new gender neutral title, “Mx” is being introduced in many UK institutions, joining the traditional ranks of Mr. Mrs, Miss, and Ms as a honorific for those who do not identify with a particular gender, UK paper the Sunday Times reported.

The title, which has already been added to official forms and databases, can be used on driving licenses and other documents, and is already accepted in banks, the main postal service Royal Mail, government departments and some universities.

The Oxford English Dictionary is already considering whether to include the title in its next edition.

The title, which is commonly pronounced as “Mux,” first appeared in a U.S. parenting magazine in the 1970s, proposed by those who viewed the traditional honorifics of Mr, Miss and Mrs as discriminatory.

However, in the late 1990s, it became more associated with individuals choosing not to identify themselves as either male or female.

Jonathan Dent, an assistant editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said that the adoption of the new honorific was the first time in recent history that commonly used and accepted titles had changed.

“This is an example of how the English language adapts to people’s needs,” said Dent.