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debutant

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

noun

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


debutant British  
/ ˈdɛbjʊˌtɑːnt, -ˌtænt /

noun

  1. 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:

Harmanpreet, Deepti and Richa Ghosh all made half-centuries, while seamer Sayali Satghare bowled with pace and the spin trio of Rana, Deepti and debutant N Sree Charani provided control.

From BBC Jul. 14, 2026

It is the first debutant to go unbeaten in the group stage since Senegal in 2002.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 1, 2026

That creates a rare opportunity for tournament debutant Cape Verde, the second-smallest country to qualify for a World Cup.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 21, 2026

England could have given the gloves to Rew's fellow debutant Jordan Cox, or even gone back to Ollie Pope.

From BBC Jun. 19, 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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