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Joan

American  
[john] / dʒoʊn /

noun

  1. Fair Maid of Kent, 1328–85, wife of Edward, the Black Prince, and mother of Richard II.

  2. a fictitious female pope about a.d. 855–858.

  3. a female given name.


Joan British  
/ dʒəʊn /

noun

  1. known as the Fair Maid of Kent. 1328–85, wife of Edward the Black Prince; mother of Richard II

  2. Pope legendary female pope, first mentioned in the 13th century: said to have been elected while disguised as a man and to have died in childbirth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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Former Spain international Joan Capdevila has made a plea to US President Donald Trump for help after he says he was denied a travel permit to enter the United States before Sunday's World Cup final.

From BBC Jul. 18, 2026

“I’ve been playing that since my early 20s because I was obsessed with Bob Dylan and Joan Baez,” Price says, “and we got our hands on a copy of the ‘Rolling Thunder Revue.’

From Salon Jul. 14, 2026

Screenwriters, journalists and famed L.A. writers Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne were also known to frequent the restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 14, 2026

When it comes to technique, no name looms larger than that of Joan Salvato Wulff, the 99-year-old champion caster and educator.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 5, 2026

Either Regina or Joan would drop him off in the morning and fetch him in the late afternoon.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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