prima ballerina

American

[pree-muh] / ˈpri mə /

noun

the principal ballerina in a ballet company.

prima ballerina British

/ ˈpriːmə /

noun

a leading female ballet dancer

"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

prima ballerina Cultural

The leading ballerina in a dance company.

Etymology

Origin of prima ballerina

1895–1900; < Italian: literally, first ballerina

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:

prima ballerina

One of Japan’s most celebrated dancers, she is the prima ballerina in the storied Matsuyama Ballet Company.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The story is completely absurd, filled with plot holes and characters as thin as a prima ballerina.

From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026

Margot Fonteyn - the Royal Ballet prima ballerina - was among Sheena's fellow pupils in the classes, which were conducted in French.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2025

Garr fancied herself a prima ballerina, obsessively pursuing that goal after her father died.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2024

Not because I want to be a prima ballerina when I grow up, but because I intend on becoming a Broadway star someday.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

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