Jane Doe

noun

: a woman who is a party to legal proceedings and whose true name is unknown or withheld

Examples of Jane Doe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That conviction stemmed from rape allegations brought by a woman identified as Jane Doe 1. Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024 Schuman subsequently filed a lawsuit of her own last spring, while a third lawsuit, filed by a Jane Doe identified as A.R., was brought in August 2023. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2024 According to the lawsuit and Elder, here is what drove the woman to sue: Jane Doe, who had been a patient at Spinal Recovery Center for a couple of years, saw multiple doctors there for pain in the rib area and was eventually referred to Pispidikis. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2024 But the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the family, warned the Supreme Court that allowing the state to enforce the law would cause severe harm to Pam Poe and Jane Doe. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2024 The third plaintiff, Jane Doe, came out as trans in 2021 and has been working as a teacher in Lee County Schools since the 2017-18 school year. Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 10 Apr. 2024 Then, through familial DNA, officials were able to identify Jane Doe as 15-year-old Helen Renee Groomes, deputies said. Paloma Chavez, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2024 In documents obtained by PEOPLE, another Jane Doe, who has since revealed herself as Liza Gardner, alleged that Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall took turns raping her and a friend in New York City more than 30 years ago. Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2024 The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, accused Combs of plying her with drugs and alcohol at his New York studio and then raping her along with two associates. Jem Aswad, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Jane Doe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Jane Doe was in 1703

Dictionary Entries Near Jane Doe

Cite this Entry

“Jane Doe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Jane%20Doe. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Jane Doe

noun
: a woman who is a party to legal proceedings and whose true name is unknown or withheld
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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