doyen
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of doyen
1665–75; < French; Old French deien < Latin decānus dean
Explanation
Use the noun doyen to describe the person who has been part of a group the longest, such as Mr. Thomas, the doyen of the accounting department. He is the doyen because everyone else joined after he did. Generally speaking, the doyen isn't just the person who has been there the longest — the doyen is also an expert, perhaps in a specialized area that the others don't know as much about. A doyen is distinguished in a way that earns leadership status, as indicated by the word's origin in the Old French word deien, which comes from the Latin word decanus, or "head of ten monks in a monastery" or "commander of ten soldiers."
Vocabulary lists containing doyen
English Words Derived from French, List 10
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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.
See Examples For:
Mr. Dilenschneider, the doyen of American public relations, is the founder of the Dilenschneider Group, a strategic-counseling firm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
Tributes have begun pouring in for the writer, who was considered the doyen of Malayalam-language literature.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2024
The ANC said in a statement: “He was a globally acclaimed playwright, composer and producer. We have lost a true legend, a doyen, and a genuine ambassador of theatre.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 28, 2023
“Drag Race” doyen and Emmy record holder RuPaul is a favorite, again, in the 2023 reality competition hosting category.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2023
Lawrence’s position as doyen of the Rad Lab and Teller’s as the indispensable genius of thermonuclear technology made compromise impossible.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Benegal, one of the doyens of Indian cinema, says the film remains very close to his heart.
From BBC ● May 17, 2024
Today, a number of doyens in the recondite field of AI admit they don’t know where all this is headed.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 6, 2023
Several doyens of the rare books realm had become alarmed after looking into Mr. Lhéritier’s background.
From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2020
We live in the golden age of remixed and remastered box sets, with the doyens of classic rock leading the way.
From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2018
He’s not only one of the doyens of fashion week, but also one of its most charming characters.
From The Guardian ● May 18, 2017
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.
