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.

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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

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Example Sentences

His newest book is “The Long Run,” which discusses the 1970s running boom and is a narrative history of four who sparked the marathon boom: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Grete Waitz.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

She inherited three more units in Queens from her mother, the fashion designer Joan Vass, which she spent years consolidating.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Affable and tall with an owlish face, Goebel found inspiration for “Kill Dick” in the “sunshine noir” of writers like Bret Easton Ellis, Nathanael West and Joan Didion.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

A "long lost" painting by Joan Eardley - known for her depictions of Glasgow street children and an Aberdeenshire fishing village - has sold for £29,500 after being discovered in a charity shop.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

“My mother,” said Joan Fischer, “is a professional protester.”

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady