1
old-fashioned + literary
: an unmarried girl or woman : maid
2
: a former Scottish beheading device resembling the guillotine (see guillotine sense 1)
3
: a horse that has never won a race
Examples of maiden in a Sentence
Noun
a story about a courageous knight who rescues a fair maiden
a story about a beautiful maiden and her mysterious father
Adjective
the maiden issue of a new magazine
a politician giving his maiden speech in the Senate
Recent Examples on the Web
Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2026
An leads the ensemble as Chang Er, a fairy maiden dwelling in the titular lunar residence with her lover Hou Yi, portrayed by Dominick Rustam.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Jan. 2026
Alison Herman, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
On at least two occasions during CVN-77’s maiden voyage, all of the heads – the naval term for toilets dating back to the days of sailing ships when the place for the crew to relieve themselves was all the way forward on either side of the bowsprit – were out of service.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maiden
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Noun
The Chargers have been impressive in their D-1 maiden voyage, winning seven games (three over D-1 schools) and posting a 2-2 mark so far in the NEC.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2026
An leads the ensemble as Chang Er, a fairy maiden dwelling in the titular lunar residence with her lover Hou Yi, portrayed by Dominick Rustam.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
In bringing Camille and Issei to life, the two actors have helped build a world that’s worth the return trip, even one that’s a little less exciting and more downbeat than the maiden voyage.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
On at least two occasions during CVN-77’s maiden voyage, all of the heads – the naval term for toilets dating back to the days of sailing ships when the place for the crew to relieve themselves was all the way forward on either side of the bowsprit – were out of service.
—Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maiden
Cite this Entry
“Maiden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maiden. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
maiden
1 of 2 noun
maid·en
ˈmād-ᵊn 
: a young unmarried girl or woman
maidenhood
noun
-ˌhu̇d
maidenly
adjective
-lē
maiden
2 of 2 adjective1
a
: not married
maiden aunt
2
: of or relating to a maiden
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