doyen
noun
doy·en
ˈdȯi-ən 
-ˌ(y)en;
ˈdwä-ˌyaⁿ(n)
1
a
: the senior member of a body or group
b
: a person considered to be knowledgeable or uniquely skilled as a result of long experience in some field of endeavor
2
: the oldest example of a category
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English picked up doyen from French in the 17th century. The French word in turn comes, via the Old French deien, from the Late Latin word decanus, which itself comes from the Greek dekanos, meaning "chief of ten." A doyen can be a leader of a group, such as a diplomatic corps. In this regard, the word has been used to refer to someone who is specifically or tacitly allowed to speak for that group. More broadly, a doyen refers to a highly skilled and respected veteran of a particular field. The feminine form of doyen is doyenne.
Examples of doyen in a Sentence
He is considered the doyen of political journalists.
considered the doyen of American art critics
Recent Examples on the Web
Over the decades, this grand doyen of LGBTQ+ literature, a member of the famed Violet Quill gay men’s writing group, would be a source of advice and support.
—
Michael T. Luongo
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
Or so sportscar journalism doyen Gary Watkins says, anyway.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 20 June 2025
The newcomers to their abode are Jerry, a hunky Mormon flight attendant (Bomer), and Arthur, a haughty fashion doyen recently fired from Vogue (Graham).
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
The newcomers to their abode are Jerry, a hunky Mormon flight attendant (Bomer), and Arthur, a haughty fashion doyen recently fired from Vogue (Graham).
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for doyen
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Michael T. Luongo
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
Or so sportscar journalism doyen Gary Watkins says, anyway.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 20 June 2025
The newcomers to their abode are Jerry, a hunky Mormon flight attendant (Bomer), and Arthur, a haughty fashion doyen recently fired from Vogue (Graham).
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
The newcomers to their abode are Jerry, a hunky Mormon flight attendant (Bomer), and Arthur, a haughty fashion doyen recently fired from Vogue (Graham).
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for doyen
Cite this Entry
“Doyen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doyen. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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