: 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
Lawyers for the Jane Doe plaintiff did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
—
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025
The firm is representing a Jane Doe who is identified only as a military spouse.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
The woman, who is married to an active-duty service member with more than 20 years in uniform, filed the lawsuit under the name Jane Doe to protect her identity.
—Courtney Kube, NBC news, 21 Nov. 2025
Arizona investigators couldn't figure out who Jane Doe was, and California authorities had no idea who the babies were.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Jane Doe
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.
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025
The firm is representing a Jane Doe who is identified only as a military spouse.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
The woman, who is married to an active-duty service member with more than 20 years in uniform, filed the lawsuit under the name Jane Doe to protect her identity.
—Courtney Kube, NBC news, 21 Nov. 2025
Arizona investigators couldn't figure out who Jane Doe was, and California authorities had no idea who the babies were.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Jane Doe
Cite this Entry
“Jane Doe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Jane%20Doe. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Jane Doe
noun
: a woman who is a party to legal proceedings and whose true name is unknown or withheld
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share