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 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
The Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, as well as two unnamed Kansas City Police officers identified as John Doe and Jane Doe, are listed as defendants.
—Benjamin Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 20 Dec. 2025
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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
The Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, as well as two unnamed Kansas City Police officers identified as John Doe and Jane Doe, are listed as defendants.
—Benjamin Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 20 Dec. 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 27 Jan. 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
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