maid of honor
Americannoun
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an unmarried woman who is the chief attendant of a bride.
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an unmarried woman, usually of noble birth, attendant on a queen or princess.
Etymology
Origin of maid of honor
First recorded in 1580–90
Compare meaning
How does maid-of-honor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
How much should I actually be helping plan a bachelorette party when I’m a bridesmaid — not the maid of honor?
From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026
Conrad was maid of honor at Cooper’s wedding, but, as Cooper confessed on a recent podcast, they aren’t friends anymore.
From Salon • Jul. 7, 2025
He had recently attended a wedding where, in her toast, the maid of honor had thanked the bride for being her “trusted trespasser.”
From Slate • Apr. 27, 2025
Ms. James’s Rottweiler, Onyx, was the maid of honor at their wedding.
From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2024
It was pretty funny the way it happened, but my mother, who was maid of honor, was not amused.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
