ballerina

noun

bal·​le·​ri·​na ˌba-lə-ˈrē-nə How to pronounce ballerina (audio)
: a woman who is a ballet dancer : danseuse

Examples of ballerina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
President Trump on Monday met in the Oval Office with an American ballerina who was released from a Russian prison earlier this year as part of an exchange. Brett Samuels, The Hill, 5 May 2025 The set also included a classical interlude where two ballerinas took the stage as a solo violinist played a classic song. Yolanda MacHado, EW.com, 1 May 2025 The daily discipline of being a ballerina is intense. Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025 Picture a crocodile-bomber-plane-hybrid, a ballerina with a cappuccino mug for a head, and a three-legged shark in Nikes. Annabelle Canela, Parents, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ballerina

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, "woman who dances professionally or for pleasure," feminine counterpart of ballarino, ballerino "professional dancer, person who loves to dance," from ballare "to dance" (going back to Late Latin ballāre) + -ar-, -er-, extension in nominal derivation + -ino, suffix of occupations (as in postino "mailman," scalpellino "stonemason"), going back to Latin -īnus -ine entry 1 — more at ball entry 3

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ballerina was in 1815

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Cite this Entry

“Ballerina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballerina. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

ballerina

noun
bal·​le·​ri·​na ˌbal-ə-ˈrē-nə How to pronounce ballerina (audio)
: a female ballet dancer

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