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.

Another auspicious Ojai debutant was the clarinetist Anthony McGill, principal at the New York Philharmonic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

Jamie Smith will miss England's second Test against New Zealand following the birth of his daughter, with James Rew coming into the side as a third debutant.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

And when he finally made it, after a shutout victory against Eswatini, Vozinha was on track to become the second-oldest debutant in the history of the tournament.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

The debutant was at the crease for the second time in two days after New Zealand added 52 to their overnight 61-6.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

At the age of forty-one, I am returning to school and have to think of myself as what my French textbook calls "a true debutant."

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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