1
: a woman of rank, station, or authority: such as
a
archaic
: the mistress of a household
b
: the wife or daughter of a lord
c
: a female member of an order of knighthood
—used as a title prefixed to the given name
Examples of dame in a Sentence
She was made a dame the year before she died.
as the grand dames of local society, they determined which charities received support
Recent Examples on the Web
She was named a dame, the female equivalent of a knighthood, for services to literature, a title that Mirren herself was awarded in 2003.
—
ABC News, 12 June 2026
Elsewhere from the entertainment world, Helen Mirren — already a dame, one of the highest ranks — was made a Companion of Honour, of which there are only 65 at any one time.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 June 2026
As face-lifts go, the $40 million spent to transform this 1891 Melbourne grand dame into a cool city chick has proved to be well spent.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
The gleaming Art Deco grand dame has anchored downtown since the 1930s after being manufactured in New Jersey and shipped to Minnesota by rail.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Midwest Living, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dame
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ABC News, 12 June 2026
Elsewhere from the entertainment world, Helen Mirren — already a dame, one of the highest ranks — was made a Companion of Honour, of which there are only 65 at any one time.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 June 2026
As face-lifts go, the $40 million spent to transform this 1891 Melbourne grand dame into a cool city chick has proved to be well spent.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
The gleaming Art Deco grand dame has anchored downtown since the 1930s after being manufactured in New Jersey and shipped to Minnesota by rail.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Midwest Living, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dame
Cite this Entry
“Dame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dame. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dame
noun
: a woman of rank, station, or authority: as
a
archaic
: the mistress of a household
b
: the wife or daughter of a lord
c
: a female member of an order of knighthood
—used as a title before a given name
Etymology
Middle English dame "a woman of rank or authority, lady," from early French dame (same meaning), from Latin domina "mistress, lady," feminine form of dominus "master, owner" — related to damsel, dominate, don entry 2, madam, madonna, prima donna
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
