ballet

American  

[ba-lay, bal-ay] / bæˈleɪ, ˈbæl eɪ /

noun

• ballets
  plural

1. a classical dance form demanding grace and precision and employing formalized steps and gestures set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement.

2. a theatrical entertainment in which ballet dancing and music, often with scenery and costumes, combine to tell a story, establish an emotional atmosphere, etc.

3. an interlude of ballet in an operatic performance.

4. a company of ballet dancers.

5. the musical score for a ballet.

   the brilliant ballets of Tchaikovsky.

6. a dance or balletlike performance.

   an ice-skating ballet.

---

ballet British  

/ bæˈleɪ, ˈbæleɪ /

noun

1. 1. a classical style of expressive dancing based on precise conventional steps with gestures and movements of grace and fluidity

   2. ( as modifier )

      ballet dancer

2. a theatrical representation of a story or theme performed to music by ballet dancers

3. a troupe of ballet dancers

4. a piece of music written for a ballet

---

ballet Cultural  

1. Theatrical entertainment in which dancers, usually accompanied by music, tell a story or express a mood through their movements. The technique of ballet is elaborate and requires many years of training. Two classical ballets are Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Two great modern ballets are The Rite of Spring, composed by Igor Stravinsky, and Fancy Free, by Leonard Bernstein.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• balletic
  adjective
• balletically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ballets
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of ballet

1660–70; < French, Middle French < Italian balletto, equivalent to ball ( o ) ball ² + -etto -et

---

Explanation

Ballet is a form of dance that uses scenery, music, and the movements of the dancers to tell a story. Learning classical ballet takes years of training. Ballet also refers to the music written for a ballet. Famous ballets include "The Nutcracker," "Swan Lake," and "Romeo and Juliet." The word ballet comes from the French word ballet, originally ballette, which itself is from the Latin word ballare, which means "to dance." The word ball, meaning a festive party with dancing, comes from the same Latin word.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ballet ballets

In an eye-catching debut, the impressively schooled and wonderfully animated corps de ballet dancer Kloe Walker, ably supported by an elegant Preston Chamblee, made fine work of the ballet’s “Serenata” duet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Before that she was a barista, she made sandwiches, and for years, she was a ballet and contemporary dancer prior to becoming a writer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Ever the fashion muse, Chalamet is once again at the centre of another trend for 2027 - ballet.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

“The ballet is not a narrative,” says Mr. Thomas, and though he’s referring to a specific piece, he might be speaking for the art form at large.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Penelope had long dreamed of visiting the ballet, and knew all about it.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

As usual with Heartbeat projects, the focus was narrowed to the main story, so choruses and ballets were cut along with some characters and subplots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

His ballets are effective in ways no one else’s are.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2024

When you’re imagining what Balanchine would do, your mind is going to what his ballets were.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2024

Stafford and Whelan have commissioned 12 ballets by choreographers of color in the last six years, it says.

From Seattle Times ● May 23, 2024

Stravinsky’s first spell of collaboration with Diaghilev comprised three ballets: The Firebird in 1910, Petrushka in 1911 and The Rite of Spring in 1913.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• choreography
• dance

---