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John Doe

(United States) A fictitious name used chiefly in legal documents for an unknown or anonymous, usually male, person.

ˈd͡ʒɑn ˈdoʊ138 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(United States) A fictitious name used chiefly in legal documents for an unknown or anonymous, usually male, person.

Origin: Books that documented and taught the legal profession in England were using the names John Smith, John Doe, Richard Roe, and others as generic placeholder names (for roles, such as plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, etc) by the mid-seventeenth century (perhaps earlier). Compare also Tommy Atkins. Though the rationale behind the choices of Doe and Roe is unknown, there are many suggested folk etymologies. Other fictitious names for a person involved in litigation in medieval English law were "John Noakes" (or "Nokes") and "John-a-Stiles" (or "John Stiles"). The Oxford English Dictionary state. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"John Doe" means: A fictitious name used chiefly in legal documents for an unknown or anonymous, usually male, person.. This is technical or formal vocabulary, more likely to appear in school work, news or a particular profession than in peer chat. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your child uses the term, it is usually a sign of curiosity about a subject area. A short follow-up question about where they came across it is usually all that is needed.

For ESL learners

"John Doe" means: A fictitious name used chiefly in legal documents for an unknown or anonymous, usually male, person.. Register: formal or technical English, standard in its specialist domain (law, medicine, science, finance, etc.). Gloss the term with a plain synonym when writing for a general audience. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.

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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(United States) Any unknown or anonymous, usually male, person.

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For specific readers

"John Doe" means: A fictitious name used chiefly in legal documents for an unknown or anonymous, usually male, person.. This is technical or formal vocabulary, more likely to appear in school work, news or a particular profession than in peer chat. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your child uses the term, it is usually a sign of curiosity about a subject area. A short follow-up question about where they came across it is usually all that is needed.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.

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