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

Elsewhere, in an extravagant paraphrase of Joan Didion, Ms. Popova tells us of another of the future Mary Shelley’s ill-fated relationships: “We tell ourselves stories of the possible in order to live. Could is the mightiest word, and the cruelest.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Joan Lunden is reporting on her own story.

From Los Angeles Times

Joan Cusack reprises her roll as Jessie, while many other characters from the first four films return.

From BBC

As the gay and dissipated Ned, Mr. Taylor is sublimely funny: “Johnny Case? Isn’t that a Joan Crawford western?”

From The Wall Street Journal

To end on the wonderful Joan Didion quote — a writer we all adore, of course — “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”

From Los Angeles Times