1
: a party to legal proceedings whose true name is unknown
2
: an average man
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
As Norther Territory police focus on the large-scale investigation for two missing backpackers, Dulcie and the very reluctant Eddie are tasked with identifying the John Doe.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
The organization conducted more DNA testing and confirmed in December 2025 that John Doe was Eddie Devone.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Investigators were led to potential relatives of the man, and reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared with those of John Doe.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
The man was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), known only as Grays Harbor County John Doe (2006).
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for John 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.
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
The organization conducted more DNA testing and confirmed in December 2025 that John Doe was Eddie Devone.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Investigators were led to potential relatives of the man, and reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared with those of John Doe.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
The man was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), known only as Grays Harbor County John Doe (2006).
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for John Doe
Cite this Entry
“John Doe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/John%20Doe. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
