née
or nee
formerly known as (used following the person’s current or recognized name to introduce a previous, usually feminine, name): Jackie Kennedy Onassis, née Bouvier.
Origin of née
1usage note For née
While in French a man’s original name would be noted with the masculine form né , some English speakers are only familiar with the form née. It is not uncommon to see this feminine form used for masculine names, or inanimate objects: the Tennessee Titans, née the Houston Oilers. On the other hand, because English has no gender inflection, it is normal for borrowed words to lose gender markings, so the masculine form né is also sometimes seen modifying a woman’s name: Marilyn Monroe, né Norma Jean Mortensen.
Words Nearby née
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use née in a sentence
Hazel Gogol, née Green, the protagonist of HBO Max’s odd, enjoyable but somewhat slight Made for Love, is one of these women.
HBO Max's Offbeat Tech Satire Made for Love Goes Down Easy—Maybe Too Easy | Judy Berman | April 1, 2021 | TimeJemima Khan, nee Goldsmith, is the daughter of one of Britain's richest men, Sir Jimmy Goldsmith, who died in 1997.
Rooney, nee Joe Yule, Jr., always understood his role in life.
Still more celebs: Hank Williams, Jr., headlined for John McCain in Fayetteville ( nee Fort Bragg) Tuesday afternoon.
My Front Row Seat in the Nation's Strangest Swing State | Jim Neal | October 30, 2008 | THE DAILY BEASTOdoribvs vana vaporat crypta tegit cineres nee speciosa tros qvod mortale minvs tibi.
Witch, Warlock, and Magician | William Henry Davenport Adams
No-o-mn-nee, He who walks in the Rain; warrior, with his pipe and tobacco-pouch in his hand.
Indians formerly called the Yosemite Valley Ah-wah-nee, meaning "grassy valley."
Your National Parks | Enos A. MillsScandit aeratas vitiosa naves Cura; nee turmas equitum relinquit.
Lucretia, Complete | Edward Bulwer-LyttonQuem enim nimia sui caritas ceperit, aliena deserit: nee sibi quisquam ambitiose atque aliis amice consulere potest.
Beowulf | R. W. Chambers
British Dictionary definitions for née
nee
/ (neɪ) /
indicating the maiden name of a married woman: Mrs Bloggs née Blandish
Origin of née
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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