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starlet

American  
[stahr-lit] / ˈstɑr lɪt /

noun

  1. a young actress promoted and publicized as a future star, especially in motion pictures.

  2. a small star or other heavenly body.


starlet British  
/ ˈstɑːlɪt /

noun

  1. a young and inexperienced actress who is projected as a potential star

  2. a small star

"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 starlet

First recorded in 1820–30; star + -let

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.

But he could not make the transition from academy starlet to first team at Liverpool.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Some three weeks later, in February 1964, the Swedish starlet and the bespectacled Brit were married.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

It captures the swagger, charisma and impulsiveness with which Godard convinced financial backers and Hollywood starlet Jean Seberg to make a debut feature that had neither a script nor a workable filming schedule.

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

On Monday, Kershaw’s focus was instead on his final start of the first half: A scheduled Tuesday outing against the Milwaukee Brewers and their 23-year-old rookie starlet, Jacob Misiorowski.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2025

They were not like words at all, but like soap bubbles, or like the kisses blown around by a starlet in a motorcade.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen