dowager
noun
dow·a·ger
ˈdau̇-i-jər 
1
: a widow holding property or a title from her deceased husband
2
: a dignified elderly woman
Examples of dowager in a Sentence
The estate is owned by a wealthy dowager.
the town's dowagers frequently shake their heads over the younger generation
Recent Examples on the Web
There were pompous society dowagers with melting faces, young beauties with speckled dresses, unexpected sphinxes and nature spirits.
—
Will Heinrich, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024
The dowager will absolutely be making sure that Nan stays in line and doesn't harm the institution.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2023
Monti is the foundation’s current director, its one-person advisory panel, its entertainment committee, its auction-house fund-raiser and its dowager guiding light.
—Laura Rysman, New York Times, 16 Dec. 2023
Thrones pushed the Emmy drama race out of its era of dowager countesses and troubled men and into one where robots and demogorgons could at least have a shot.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 June 2023
From the artists of Washington Square to the dowagers and doormen of the Upper East Side was a cultural distance as great as any trip from Nebraska to New York.
—Jeff MacGregor, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2023
Throughout British history, there have been numerous queens dowager who were not queen mothers, including Joan of Navarre, the second wife of King Henry IV and stepmother to King Henry V, and Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII and stepmother to King Edward VI.
—Town & Country, 4 June 2023
In this thriller written and directed by Paul Schrader, horticulturist Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) tends the grounds of Gracewood Gardens, an estate owned by wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver).
—Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 25 May 2023
In this thriller from Paul Schrader, horticulturist Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) tends the grounds of Gracewood Gardens, a beautiful estate owned by wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver).
—Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 12 May 2023
Will Heinrich, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024
The dowager will absolutely be making sure that Nan stays in line and doesn't harm the institution.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2023
Monti is the foundation’s current director, its one-person advisory panel, its entertainment committee, its auction-house fund-raiser and its dowager guiding light.
—Laura Rysman, New York Times, 16 Dec. 2023
Thrones pushed the Emmy drama race out of its era of dowager countesses and troubled men and into one where robots and demogorgons could at least have a shot.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 June 2023
From the artists of Washington Square to the dowagers and doormen of the Upper East Side was a cultural distance as great as any trip from Nebraska to New York.
—Jeff MacGregor, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2023
Throughout British history, there have been numerous queens dowager who were not queen mothers, including Joan of Navarre, the second wife of King Henry IV and stepmother to King Henry V, and Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII and stepmother to King Edward VI.
—Town & Country, 4 June 2023
In this thriller written and directed by Paul Schrader, horticulturist Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) tends the grounds of Gracewood Gardens, an estate owned by wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver).
—Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 25 May 2023
In this thriller from Paul Schrader, horticulturist Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) tends the grounds of Gracewood Gardens, a beautiful estate owned by wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill (Sigourney Weaver).
—Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 12 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dowager.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dowager
Cite this Entry
“Dowager.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dowager. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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dowager
noun
dow·a·ger
ˈdau̇-i-jər
: a dignified elderly woman
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