1
: a party to legal proceedings whose true name is unknown
2
: an average man
Synonyms
Examples of John Doe in a Sentence
to John Doe the most important issues in any election are usually those that affect his wallet
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2016, the shooting death of Alton Sterling by a white police officer triggered weeks of protests across the U.S.
During protests in Baton Rouge, La., an officer − identified in the court filings as John Doe − was struck in the face by a rock.
—
USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2024
Bell publicly identified himself as the John Doe in Peck’s case for the first time in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
At the time, the minor was referred to as John Doe in court documents.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Mar. 2024
The minor in the case, who was previously identified as John Doe, is revealed to be Bell in the docuseries.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
This John Doe also has very distant Colonial America relationships − ties to families in Virginia in the early 1700s.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024
Because Bell was a minor at the time of the assault, he was only identified as John Doe in the case and his identity as Peck’s victim was largely unknown until his participation in the documentary.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Bell’s John Doe case led to Peck’s arrest in 2003 and subsequent conviction in 2004, as the dialogue coach pleaded no contest to charges of committing a lewd act against a child and was sentenced to 16-months in prison.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
Earlier this month, after a months-long pre-trial hearing for the re-sentencing of notorious John Doe gang leader Corey Smith’s death sentence, two state prosecutors were ousted by a judge who disagreed with their tactics.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2024
Bell publicly identified himself as the John Doe in Peck’s case for the first time in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
At the time, the minor was referred to as John Doe in court documents.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Mar. 2024
The minor in the case, who was previously identified as John Doe, is revealed to be Bell in the docuseries.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024
This John Doe also has very distant Colonial America relationships − ties to families in Virginia in the early 1700s.
—Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024
Because Bell was a minor at the time of the assault, he was only identified as John Doe in the case and his identity as Peck’s victim was largely unknown until his participation in the documentary.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Bell’s John Doe case led to Peck’s arrest in 2003 and subsequent conviction in 2004, as the dialogue coach pleaded no contest to charges of committing a lewd act against a child and was sentenced to 16-months in prison.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2024
Earlier this month, after a months-long pre-trial hearing for the re-sentencing of notorious John Doe gang leader Corey Smith’s death sentence, two state prosecutors were ousted by a judge who disagreed with their tactics.
—Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'John Doe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near John Doe
Cite this Entry
“John Doe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/John%20Doe. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
John Doe
noun
: a person in legal proceedings whose true name is unknown or withheld
Legal Definition
John Doe
noun
: a party to legal proceedings (as a suspect) whose true name is unknown or withheld compare jane roe, richard roe
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