donned; donning
1
: to put on (an article of clothing)
donned his hat and gloves
2
: to wrap oneself in : take on sense 3a
the donning of new and more tyrannous moralities—
Edward Sapir
Edward Sapir1
: a head (see head entry 1 sense 6a), tutor, or fellow (see fellow sense 5) in a college of Oxford or Cambridge University
she didn't want to be a don's wife and live in Oxford forever—Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
broadly
: a college or university professor
2
[Italian, title of respect, from donno, literally, lord, from Latin dominus]
: a powerful Mafia leader
3
: a Spanish nobleman or gentleman
—used as a title prefixed to the Christian name
4
archaic
: a person of consequence : grandee
the great dons of wit—John Dryden
John Dryden
director of nursing
Examples of don in a Sentence
Verb
He donned his gloves and hat.
she donned her best gown for the ball
Recent Examples on the WebStephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2024
Hudson is a stellar example of the design talent here in the U.S.
In particular Bass donned a cherry red dress from Sergio Hudson’s Fall/Winter 2024 presentation in New York City.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 12 Aug. 2024
Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2024
Apparently mafia dons loved nothing more than an evening in a private box, dabbing their eyes through Madama Butterfly.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for don 
Verb
Kyla wore a red floor-length gown with thin straps, while Vince donned black from head-to-toe.
—Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 13 Aug. 2024
Hudson is a stellar example of the design talent here in the U.S.
In particular Bass donned a cherry red dress from Sergio Hudson’s Fall/Winter 2024 presentation in New York City.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 12 Aug. 2024
Noun
By then, though, Shamo was a dark-net totem, the model for aspiring dons in every suburb.
—Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2024
Apparently mafia dons loved nothing more than an evening in a private box, dabbing their eyes through Madama Butterfly.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for don
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'don.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near don
Cite this Entry
“Don.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/don. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
don
2 of 2 noun1
: a Spanish nobleman or gentleman
—used as a title
2
: a teacher in a college or university
Geographical Definition
Don
geographical name
river 1224 miles (1969 kilometers) long in Russia in Europe flowing southeast and then southwest into the Sea of Azov
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