doyen

noun

doy·​en ˈdȯi-ən 

-ˌ(y)en;

ˈdwä-ˌyaⁿ(n) 

1

a

: the senior member of a body or group

b

: a person considered to be knowledgeable or uniquely skilled as a result of long experience in some field of endeavor

2

: the oldest example of a category

Did you know?

English picked up doyen from French in the 17th century. The French word in turn comes, via the Old French deien, from the Late Latin word decanus, which itself comes from the Greek dekanos, meaning "chief of ten." A doyen can be a leader of a group, such as a diplomatic corps. In this regard, the word has been used to refer to someone who is specifically or tacitly allowed to speak for that group. More broadly, a doyen refers to a highly skilled and respected veteran of a particular field. The feminine form of doyen is doyenne.

Synonyms

• veteran

Examples of doyen in a Sentence

He is considered the doyen of political journalists.

considered the doyen of American art critics

Recent Examples on the Web

Sorkin, Kernen and Quick have been anchoring the show together for the last 14 years, with Kernen serving as the doyen of the group, going to back to its 1995 debut. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025

My first tax boss was Stephen Land, a doyen of the international tax bar in New York, now retired. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

The six-part series, Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping, will feature the two doyens of British comedy along with newer names such as Ricote, Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Taskmaster contestant Stevie Martin and Krystal Evans. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025

Over the decades, this grand doyen of LGBTQ+ literature, a member of the famed Violet Quill gay men’s writing group, would be a source of advice and support. —Michael T. Luongo july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French deien, from Late Latin decanus dean — more at dean

First Known Use

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for doyen

• iroquoian

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!