Madonna

American  

[muh-don-uh] / məˈdɒn ə /

noun

1. Usually the Madonna the Virgin Mary.

2. a picture or statue representing the Virgin Mary.

3. Archaic. Often madonna an Italian title of formal address to a woman.

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Madonna ¹ British  

/ məˈdɒnə /

noun

1. RC Church a designation of the Virgin Mary

2. (sometimes not capital) a picture or statue of the Virgin Mary

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Madonna ² British  

/ məˈdɒnə /

noun

1. full name Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. born 1958, US rock singer and film actress. Her records include "Like a Virgin" (1985), "Like a Prayer" (1989), Ray of Light (1998), Music (2000), and MDNA (2012). Her films include Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) and Evita (1996)

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Madonna ¹ Cultural  

1. A work of art depicting Mary, the mother of Jesus, especially one that shows her holding the infant Jesus; also a term for Mary herself. Madonna is Italian for “my lady.”

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Madonna ² Cultural  

1. An American pop singer known for her many incarnations, ranging from an early “Material Girl” to a movie star (Evita) to a mother and wife. Many consider Madonna a promotional genius for her ability to reinvent herself.

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Etymology

Origin of Madonna

First recorded in 1575–85; from Italian, from Old Italian ma donna “my lady”; see origin at donna ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Madonna

The home of London's oldest restaurant, which has hosted famous faces from Charles Dickens to Madonna over the past two centuries, has been given to the National Trust.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Madonna performed at the awards show for the first time in more than 20 years, and took home a handful of awards including artist of the year.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

But Swift struck out in some of the show's biggest categories, including Artist of the Year, which went to the queen of pop, Madonna.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Madonna ruled the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations with 11 and was followed closely behind by Taylor Swift.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

She raised her head, keeping the Madonna lodged against her chest as she forced a brave smile.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat

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Related Words

• madame

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