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.

Debutant Kristian Clarke made an unbeaten 24 after he put on 42 runs for the eighth wicket with Mitchell.

From Barron's • Jan. 11, 2026

Debutant Jake Weatherald got the nod for Perth.

From Barron's • Nov. 23, 2025

Debutant Mia McAulay - who opened the scoring at Hampden in last Sunday's Scottish Cup final - injected the width, creativity and spark the Scots were craving.

From BBC • May 31, 2025

Debutant Jordan Cox and Salt both fell before the end of the powerplay and when Zampa bowled Jacob Bethell, also making his international debut, England were struggling at 52-4.

From BBC • Sep. 11, 2024

Debutant Grace Clinton gets the ball on the edge of the box and unleashes a first-time strike.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2024

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