debutant

American

[deb-yoo-tahnt, -yuh-] / ˈdɛb jʊˌtɑnt, -jə- /

Or débutant

noun

a person who makes a debut into a professional career or before the public.

debutant British

/ ˈdɛbjʊˌtɑːnt, -ˌtænt /

noun

a person who is making a first appearance in a particular capacity, such as a sportsperson playing in a first game for a team

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of debutant

1815–25; < French débutant, present participle of débuter. See debut, -ant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

debutant

Celtics debutant Paul George scored 38 points for his new side in a match between last season's top two regular-season teams.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Relentless in his line and lengths, the 37-year-old found the perfect length to drag debutant Marques Ackerman onto the front foot.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Bulldogs prop King, born in Huddersfield while his Australian father David was a player there, features alongside fellow debutant Hugo Savala, part of Sydney Roosters' NRL Grand Final-winning squad.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Stanway was even more effective in large part to a new-look midfield which included 20-year-old debutant Lexi Potter.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Our friends and loved ones were used to attending debutant balls, but since I didn’t have one the year before, this party was like my make-up quinceañera.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023