donna

¹

[ dawn-nah ]

noun

1. (initial capital letter) Madam; Lady: an Italian title of respect prefixed to the given name of a woman.
2. an Italian lady.

Donna

²

[ don-uh ]

noun

1. a female given name.

Donna

/ ˈdɒnə; ˈdɔnna /

noun

1. an Italian title of address equivalent to Madam, indicating respect

Word History and Origins

Origin of donna¹

1660–70; < Italian < Latin domina, feminine of dominus

Word History and Origins

Origin of donna¹

C17: from Italian, from Latin domina lady, feminine of dominus lord, master

Example Sentences

But Knight, Larraín, and Jolie are all careful to avoid reducing Callas to an over-the-top ableist stereotype or portraying her as the ruthless prima donna tigress the media painted her as.

From Salon

Celebrities acting like prima donnas toward restaurant personnel isn’t anything new.

From Los Angeles Times

Conservative commentator Piers Morgan wrote: “It’s hard to imagine an American sporting team that’s made the country feel less proud than this bunch of ‘activist’ prima donnas.”

From Washington Times

The original diva, which means "goddess" in Latin, referred to opera's leading ladies, or prima donnas.

From BBC

Eidinger, an expert prima donna, brings out the tragic absurdity of men who blindly follow orders.

From New York Times