Goodwife (Scots: Guidwife), usually abbreviated Goody, was a polite form of address for women, formerly used how Mrs., Miss and Ms. are used today.
[1] By the mid-18th century they had become archaic outside Scotland, and they are perhaps best known today as the forms of address used in period literature, like Arthur Miller's historical fiction The Crucible.
[2] Goodwife is a term used to designate women of high social status, typically civilian wives.
[4] Goodwives were typically involved in civilian duties but did not necessarily join in church activities.
[5] A precise definition of Goodwife in colonial America is elusive owing to the term's varied and ambiguous usage.
"[5] However, in Evelina, Captain Mervin uses the term to insult his wife, who, as a member of the gentry, should be referred to as Madame or Mistress.
[5] By 1780, the forms of address Master or Mister and Miss(tress) were used almost universally despite social differences.