French word

madone

Pronunciation

IPA/madɔn/

Meaning

  • feminine nounVirgin Mary

Example

Nous avons prié la madone devant l'autel.

We prayed to the Virgin Mary before the altar.

Illustration for madone (Virgin Mary)

More examples

La madone est souvent représentée avec l'enfant Jésus.

The Madonna is often depicted with the infant Jesus.

Core concept

An honored image of Mary that links a woman revered in prayer with the artwork showing her.

Similar words

Vierge: A religious term for the Virgin Mary.
Marie: The personal name of the Virgin Mary.
icône: A sacred image or painting honored in worship.
statue: A three-dimensional figure representing a person or saint.

Definition in French

Désigne la Vierge Marie, parfois employé pour désigner une statue ou un tableau la représentant dans un contexte artistique ou liturgique.

Word origin

Madone entered French as an Italian religious borrowing, with Italian madonna deriving from the medieval Latin phrase mea domina.

Usage tips

  • Madone belongs mainly to religious, artistic, or literary usage, while ordinary French more often names the person or artwork directly.

Other meanings

  • Madonnanoun

Word lists with this word