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1
: a party to legal proceedings whose true name is unknown
2
: an average man
Synonyms
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
One of John Doe’s shoes was found near the scene of the crash, according to prosecutors.
—Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 17 May 2024
At an incident in December 2020 — contained in a preceding criminal complaint — John Doe 1’s brother suffered a concussion after falling off the back of O’Connor’s SUV during a joyride in the high school parking lot.
—Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
According to news reports, the boy didn’t have identification and was admitted to the hospital as a John Doe.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2024
In 2016, the shooting death of Alton Sterling by a white police officer triggered weeks of protests across the U.S.
During protests in Baton Rouge, La., an officer − identified in the court filings as John Doe − was struck in the face by a rock.
—USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2024
Bell publicly identified himself as the John Doe in Peck’s case for the first time in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
At the time, the minor was referred to as John Doe in court documents.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Mar. 2024
The minor in the case, who was previously identified as John Doe, is revealed to be Bell in the docuseries.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
This John Doe also has very distant Colonial America relationships − ties to families in Virginia in the early 1700s.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'John 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
1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near John Doe
Cite this Entry
“John Doe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/John%20Doe. Accessed 10 Jun. 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
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