maid of honor
Americannoun
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an unmarried woman who is the chief attendant of a bride.
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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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How does maid-of-honor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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
You’re right to be frustrated that you seem to be putting in more effort than the maid of honor, and that effort is met with hostility instead of gratitude.
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
You walk down the aisle with the maid of honor.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
