doyenne

See also: doyenné

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French doyenne.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛn

Noun

doyenne (plural doyennes)

1. A female doyen.
2. The senior or eldest female member of a group, especially one who is most or highly respected.

   Helen Thomas is frequently referred to as "the doyenne of the White House press corps".

   • 1997 August 5, Craig R. Whitney, “Jeanne Calment, World's Elder, Dies at 122”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     The French, who celebrated her as the doyenne of humanity, had their own theories about why she lived so long, noting that she used to eat more than two pounds of chocolate a week and treat her skin with olive oil, rode a bicycle until she was 100, and only quit smoking five years ago.

   • 2025 June 21, Jo Ellison, “The Bezos merger we all want a piece of”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 22:

     There were encouraged and facilitated by Anna Wintour, doyenne of the fashion industry, who decided with [Hillary] Clinton that the couple should have a bigger wedding while attending their engagement bash.

3. A woman who is highly experienced and knowledgeable in a particular field, subject, or line of work; expert.

Synonyms

• grande dame

Translations

female doyen

French: doyenne (fr) f Russian: специали́стка (ru) f (specialístka), профессиона́лка (ru) f (professionálka)

oldest female in group

French: doyenne (fr) f

French

Etymology

From doyen +‎ -enne.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dwa.jɛn/
• Rhymes: -ɛn

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

doyenne f (plural doyennes, masculine doyen)

1. female equivalent of doyen: the oldest woman

   Jeanne Calment, la doyenne de l'humanité.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 1949 [1946], Jacques Prévert, “Événements”, in Paroles [Words], Éditions Gallimard, page 54:

     puis elles s'approchent de la flaque / de la grande flaque de sang / mais la doyenne des mouches leur dit / Halte là mes enfants

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (Canada, education) female dean at an educational establishment

Coordinate terms

• doyen (“the oldest man”)

References

• Dictionary entry for "Doyenne"

Further reading

• “doyenne”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.