: a woman who is a party to legal proceedings and whose true name is unknown or withheld
Examples of Jane Doe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The woman, who is identified as Jane Doe A.G., alleges that Retzlaff raped, strangled and bit her at his apartment in Provo, Utah, in November 2023.
Retzlaff, in a statement from his attorney, denied the allegations.
—
Tess Demeyer, New York Times, 22 May 2025
October 27, 2024: Woman accuses Chris Brown of raping her on Diddy's yacht
In the documentary Chris Brown: A History of Violence, an anonymous woman, who went by the name Jane Doe, claimed that the singer raped her in 2020.
—Alex Heigl, People.com, 16 May 2025
According to a lawsuit filed in the New York County Supreme Court on Wednesday, May 14, and obtained by PEOPLE, a woman, who identified herself as Jane Doe, claimed that the music mogul assaulted her in July 2001.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 15 May 2025
From Robinson taking a shower before the assaults and putting a towel on the bed to prevent stains, the tales from Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2, Jane Doe 3 and Jane Doe 4 are remarkably similar in the worst of ways.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for Jane Doe
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tess Demeyer, New York Times, 22 May 2025
October 27, 2024: Woman accuses Chris Brown of raping her on Diddy's yacht
In the documentary Chris Brown: A History of Violence, an anonymous woman, who went by the name Jane Doe, claimed that the singer raped her in 2020.
—Alex Heigl, People.com, 16 May 2025
According to a lawsuit filed in the New York County Supreme Court on Wednesday, May 14, and obtained by PEOPLE, a woman, who identified herself as Jane Doe, claimed that the music mogul assaulted her in July 2001.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 15 May 2025
From Robinson taking a shower before the assaults and putting a towel on the bed to prevent stains, the tales from Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2, Jane Doe 3 and Jane Doe 4 are remarkably similar in the worst of ways.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for Jane Doe
Cite this Entry
“Jane Doe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Jane%20Doe. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Jane Doe
noun
: a woman who is a party to legal proceedings and whose true name is unknown or withheld
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share