debutante

noun

deb·​u·​tante ˈde-byu̇-ˌtänt How to pronounce debutante (audio)
: one making a debut (see debut entry 1) : debutant
especially : a young woman making her formal entrance into society

Examples of debutante in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web An atavistic society ritual, a debutante’s ball for the M.F.A. debtset? Martha Schwendener, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Hometown favorite New Zealand, captained by Angel City’s Ali Riley, is playing in its sixth World Cup but has won as many games here as the Philippines, a tournament debutante. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2023 In 1956, Swarovski first began crystalizing the tiaras worn by the debutantes. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2024 The debutante and her husband, Robert Garrett, built the properties up into lavish palaces, hosting both Baltimore’s elite and working class at the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion on West Mount Vernon Place during the Gilded Age’s social season. Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2024 The buzz: This is a top-heavy group with the two 2019 finalists, the U.S. and the Netherlands, matched with a pair of debutantes. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2023 Corralling all the debutante balls, starter marriages, and hush-hush dalliances of Capote’s inner circle demanded significant research—the bibliography of Capote’s Women is extensive—but the context only made Capote’s deception juicier. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Jan. 2024 Jon Cherry for The New York Times A scene from the Cotillion Society of Detroit Educational Foundation’s annual ball, which continues the legacy of Black debutantes in the city. Marc Lacey, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2023 Renouard revived Le Bal in the 1990s as a kind of update to the historic debutante balls that had taken place centuries before. Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'debutante.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French débutante, feminine of débutant — see debutant

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of debutante was in 1801

Dictionary Entries Near debutante

Cite this Entry

“Debutante.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debutante. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

debutante

noun
deb·​u·​tante ˈdeb-yu̇-ˌtänt How to pronounce debutante (audio)
: a young woman making her debut
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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