dowager

noun

dow·​a·​ger ˈdau̇-i-jər How to pronounce dowager (audio)
1
: a widow holding property or a title from her deceased husband
2
: a dignified elderly woman

Examples of dowager in a Sentence

The estate is owned by a wealthy dowager. the town's dowagers frequently shake their heads over the younger generation
Recent Examples on the Web Playing an acid-tongue dowager or master teacher of witchcraft came naturally to her, but what thrilled her about acting was its transformative freedom. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024 There were pompous society dowagers with melting faces, young beauties with speckled dresses, unexpected sphinxes and nature spirits. Will Heinrich, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024 The dowager will absolutely be making sure that Nan stays in line and doesn't harm the institution. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2023 Monti is the foundation’s current director, its one-person advisory panel, its entertainment committee, its auction-house fund-raiser and its dowager guiding light. Laura Rysman, New York Times, 16 Dec. 2023 See all Example Sentences for dowager 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dowager.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French douagiere, from douage dower, from douer to endow — more at endow

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dowager was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near dowager

Cite this Entry

“Dowager.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dowager. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

dowager

noun
dow·​a·​ger ˈdau̇-i-jər How to pronounce dowager (audio)
: a dignified elderly woman

More from Merriam-Webster on dowager

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!