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
The Supreme Court emphasized that its September 10 denial of South Carolina's application was not a ruling on the merits of John Doe's claims but was based solely on the standards for emergency relief.
—
Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Unable to identify the deceased person, the man became known as Lee County John Doe in 1977, according to Othram.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
The former Chi Alpha student identified in the lawsuit as John Doe 2 was one of them.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2025
In addition to the Rivas brothers, the suit also names the Assembly and 10 unnamed John Doe individuals as defendants.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for John Doe
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Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Unable to identify the deceased person, the man became known as Lee County John Doe in 1977, according to Othram.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
The former Chi Alpha student identified in the lawsuit as John Doe 2 was one of them.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2025
In addition to the Rivas brothers, the suit also names the Assembly and 10 unnamed John Doe individuals as defendants.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
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 16 Sep. 2025.
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
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