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
Where to Stay The Algonquin Resort is the grand dame in town and has been welcoming those looking for an oceanside escape since 1914.
—
Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2026
Up the block from the Baby Grand is the grand dame of San Diego County tourism, the Hotel del Coronado, which went up in 1888, completed a $550-million renovation last year and starts its rates north of $600.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
The pas de deux between Billy and Kris is entrancingly sexy, and the film’s love relationship to movie magic is just as romantic, from Anderson’s grand-dame costuming to the matte paintings that serve as backdrops in both the film-within-the-film and the one containing it.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Jacaranda began as a pop-up dinner party in their home, and Lewitinn — who’s also long worked in marketing and events — now presides as the dining room’s offbeat grand dame, especially in sparking unfiltered conversations at the communal table.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dame
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Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2026
Up the block from the Baby Grand is the grand dame of San Diego County tourism, the Hotel del Coronado, which went up in 1888, completed a $550-million renovation last year and starts its rates north of $600.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
The pas de deux between Billy and Kris is entrancingly sexy, and the film’s love relationship to movie magic is just as romantic, from Anderson’s grand-dame costuming to the matte paintings that serve as backdrops in both the film-within-the-film and the one containing it.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Jacaranda began as a pop-up dinner party in their home, and Lewitinn — who’s also long worked in marketing and events — now presides as the dining room’s offbeat grand dame, especially in sparking unfiltered conversations at the communal table.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dame
Cite this Entry
“Dame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dame. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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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Merriam-Webster unabridged
