John Doe

noun

1
: a party to legal proceedings whose true name is unknown
2
: an average man

Examples of John Doe in a Sentence

to John Doe the most important issues in any election are usually those that affect his wallet
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An unnamed driver listed as John Doe in a separate accident report was killed at approximately 2:52 a.m. Parker Mancino, arkansasonline.com, 22 Dec. 2024 Others recorded covers of Dunlap’s own songs for the nonprofit project Songs for Slim, including Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Pixies’ Frank Black, X’s John Doe, the Hold Steady’s Craig Finn, Soul Asylum, and more. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 19 Dec. 2024 So Stanwyck and the paper find an actual man living life on the rails (Gary Cooper) to pose as John Doe, who quickly becomes overwhelmed by all the attention. James Mercadante, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2024 One of the men — all of whom are suing anonymously and are referred to only as John Doe — alleged in his suit that Combs and several of his associates from his Bad Boy Records label drugged and raped him during a 2020 party at Combs' house in East Hampton, New York. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for John Doe 

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of John Doe was in 1593

Cite this Entry

“John Doe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/John%20Doe. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

John Doe

noun
: a person in legal proceedings whose true name is unknown or withheld

Legal Definition

John Doe

noun
: a party to legal proceedings (as a suspect) whose true name is unknown or withheld compare jane roe, richard roe
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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