John Doe

noun

1. an anonymous, average man.
2. a fictitious name used in legal proceedings for a male party whose true name is not known. Compare Jane Doe, Richard Roe.
3. of or for an unknown person; using the name John Doe to stand for an unknown person:

   The judge issued a John Doe warrant so the police could arrest the culprit when they identified him.

4. an unidentified man:

   The police were looking for a John Doe.

John Doe

noun

1. See Doe

Example Sentences

Recent visitors have included Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas, John Doe and Exene Cervenka of the band X and actor William Shatner.

From Los Angeles Times

She kept the title she had originally chosen — "Whose Names Are Unknown" — which was based on an eviction notice she had seen on a decrepit worker’s shack on a corporate farm, a notice that read “To John Doe and Mary Doe whose true names are unknown.”

From Salon

The student, who is a minor, is named as John Doe in court documents.

From Los Angeles Times

The lawsuit alleges Combs told the boy — only identified as John Doe — to drop his pants and expose his penis so that Combs could inspect it, explaining it was a rite of passage and the route to becoming a star, and also as a way to prove himself.

From Los Angeles Times

“Out of fear, anxiety and the imbalanced power dynamic between himself and Combs, John Doe then dropped his pants and exposed his penis as Combs previously instructed,” according to the lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times