1
: a woman of rank, station, or authority: such as
a
archaic
: the mistress of a household
b
: the wife or daughter of a lord
c
: a female member of an order of knighthood
—used as a title prefixed to the given name
Examples of dame in a Sentence
She was made a dame the year before she died.
as the grand dames of local society, they determined which charities received support
Recent Examples on the Web
Fast forward to the present, however, and the grand dame has faded.
—
Leila Latif, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
Another grand Historic District dame, The Pamlico House is a Colonial Revival home tucked away on a quiet residential street just blocks from main drag.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
When considering Mexico’s luxury all-inclusives, the Grand Velas brand is widely accepted as the category’s grand dame.
—Margaux Lushing, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
In 1997, Laine became the first British jazz artist to be made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight.
—George Varga, Mercury News, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dame
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Leila Latif, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
Another grand Historic District dame, The Pamlico House is a Colonial Revival home tucked away on a quiet residential street just blocks from main drag.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
When considering Mexico’s luxury all-inclusives, the Grand Velas brand is widely accepted as the category’s grand dame.
—Margaux Lushing, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
In 1997, Laine became the first British jazz artist to be made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight.
—George Varga, Mercury News, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dame
Cite this Entry
“Dame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dame. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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dame
noun
: a woman of rank, station, or authority: as
a
archaic
: the mistress of a household
b
: the wife or daughter of a lord
c
: a female member of an order of knighthood
—used as a title before a given name
Etymology
Middle English dame "a woman of rank or authority, lady," from early French dame (same meaning), from Latin domina "mistress, lady," feminine form of dominus "master, owner" — related to damsel, dominate, don entry 2, madam, madonna, prima donna
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