debutante

or déb·u·tante

[ deb-yoo-tahnt, -tant ]

noun

1. a young woman making a debut into society.

debutante

/ ˈdɛbjʊˌtɑːnt; -ˌtænt /

noun

1. a young woman of upper-class background who is presented to society, usually at a formal ball
2. a girl or young woman regarded as being upper-class, wealthy, and of a frivolous or snobbish social set

Other Words From

• post·debu·tante noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of debutante¹

1795–1805; < French; feminine of débutant debutant

Word History and Origins

Origin of debutante¹

C19: from French, from débuter to lead off in a game, make one's first appearance; see debut

Example Sentences

Men held these jobs too, but only the women spent their first week of employment being feted like debutantes, welcomed with bouquets of flowers and a formal dinner dance hosted by Watson.

From MIT Technology Review

No longer the debutante but the career girl — a bold but safe step forward.

From Washington Post

Before his marriage to the Queen, Philip dated society beauty Osla Benning, a Canadian debutante, whom he met in 1939.

From The Daily Beast

The novel, about a young debutante cavorting in New York City in the summer of 1945, was finally published in 2005.

From The Daily Beast

It was a typical Southern upbringing complete with not one, but two debutante balls.

From The Daily Beast

At first glance, Finke, a debutante from Manhattan, is a rarity in this wicked pantheon of secret-sharers.

From The Daily Beast

She had been raised as a debutante, a beautiful, delicate orchid from Vancouver, Canada.

From The Daily Beast

A happy chance made him meet Korolenko, who took a great interest in the "debutante" writer.

From Project Gutenberg

Meanwhile the party from the villa were seated in the great concert hall awaiting the appearance of the lovely American debutante.

From Project Gutenberg

Nothing will make me blue now that mother has given up making me be a debutante.

From Project Gutenberg

With the scarcity of beaux only a girl who was all animation had any show of having a good time in her debutante year.

From Project Gutenberg

It beats the debutante slink, that came in with narrow skirts.

From Project Gutenberg