doyenne

noun

: a woman who is a doyen

Examples of doyenne in a Sentence

the doyenne of the fashion industry
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Exec Producers Rachael Barnes and Ben Wicks exclusively took Deadline inside the making of film about Ozzy, one of rock’s iconic performers, and Sharon, his wife and doyenne of TV and the music biz. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025 The skincare doyenne praised by such leading ladies as Jessica Alba, Kelly Rowland and Shay Mitchell, Shani Darden delivers taut, porcelain-like skin with her signature facial—a blend of light chemical peels, oxygen therapy, and microcurrent. Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025 Wearing her signature bespoke silk turban, Milan design doyenne Nina Yashar articulated how a performance illustrating her gallery‘s 10-year lifespan will come to life. Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025 But the film benefits from the evident warmth and ease that Jacobs feels in her company, while other talking heads — among them Jacobs’ creative director Joseph Carter and former Vogue doyenne Grace Coddington — provide some welcome outside perspective. Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for doyenne

Word History

Etymology

French, feminine of doyen

First Known Use

circa 1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of doyenne was circa 1897

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Cite this Entry

“Doyenne.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doyenne. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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