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maid of honor

American  

noun

  1. an unmarried woman who is the chief attendant of a bride.

  2. an unmarried woman, usually of noble birth, attendant on a queen or princess.


Etymology

Origin of maid of honor

First recorded in 1580–90


Compare meaning

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The Knicks were up by about 10 points during the third quarter when the maid of honor showed Michael a livestream on her phone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

How much should I actually be helping plan a bachelorette party when I’m a bridesmaid — not the maid of honor?

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 29, 2026

Conrad was maid of honor at Cooper’s wedding, but, as Cooper confessed on a recent podcast, they aren’t friends anymore.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2025

He had recently attended a wedding where, in her toast, the maid of honor had thanked the bride for being her “trusted trespasser.”

From Slate ● Apr. 27, 2025

Mrs. Draper's maid of honor was to be her daughter, Mrs. Potter.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg

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