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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

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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.

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

A maid of honor to the queen passes the time with canvas work.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

I sent the maid of honor a picture of me in the dress months ago and she said it was fine.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 8, 2025

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

“I am the maid of honor, Ma. Remember?”

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat

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