doyen

noun

doy·en ˈdȯi-ən

-ˌ(y)en;

ˈdwä-ˌyaⁿ(n)

Synonyms of doyen next

: the senior member of a body or group

: a person considered to be knowledgeable or uniquely skilled as a result of long experience in some field of endeavor

: the oldest example of a category

Did you know?

English picked up doyen from French in the 17th century. The French word in turn comes, via the Old French deien, from the Late Latin word decanus, which itself comes from the Greek dekanos, meaning "chief of ten." A doyen can be a leader of a group, such as a diplomatic corps. In this regard, the word has been used to refer to someone who is specifically or tacitly allowed to speak for that group. More broadly, a doyen refers to a highly skilled and respected veteran of a particular field. The feminine form of doyen is doyenne.

Examples of doyen in a Sentence

He is considered the doyen of political journalists. considered the doyen of American art critics

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.

Theatre doyen and Lightroom founder Nicholas Hytner addressed the crowd assembled for the premiere of Inventing the Runway in King’s Cross on Thursday night, flanked by Anna Wintour, Mark Guiducci, Chioma Nnadi, and Cate Blanchett, who narrates the 50-minute exhibition. —

Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2024 India has also been courting the doyens of Taiwanese industry. —

Harsh V. Pant, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2024 Pic is being produced by Todd Garner (Mortal Kombat) for Broken Road Productions, Siegal, Courtney Petrakis, Brittney McDade, and genre doyen Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep) for Red Room Pictures. —

Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024 In the final pages of issue number two, legendary Englishman Nicky Haslam, a doyen of the interiors world, shares his ultimate party etiquette, honed over a lifetime of attending the most fabulous parties ever thrown discreetly behind closed doors. —

Freya Drohan, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for doyen