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. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Madonna

Paul McCartney and Madonna made welcome returns, indie-rockers Kurt Vile and Phoebe Bridgers honed their sounds, jazz singer Cécile McLorin Salvant teamed up with an orchestra, and much, much more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

While Madonna partied in Corfu, singer Bieber took his family to the Peloponnese.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Madonna ruled the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations on Tuesday with 11.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

According the Sun, external, Madonna could be heading for a record-breaking three-night stint at London's Hyde Park instead, although that remains to be confirmed.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

I sat motionless observing the Madonna the whole day.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat

Related Words

• madame