ballerina

noun

bal·​le·​ri·​na ˌba-lə-ˈrē-nə 

: a woman who is a ballet dancer : danseuse

Examples of ballerina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Before and during performances, dancers warm up in the foyer de la danse, a gilded room with dripping chandeliers at the back of the stage, where season ticket holders would court ballerinas a century ago. —Elliott Verdier, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025

Driving the news: The New York Times featured Neeleman's beef stroganoff recipe this week alongside an in-depth profile of the ballerina/beauty queen/Internet celebrity. —Erin Alberty, Axios, 5 Dec. 2024

When the going gets rough, reach for one of our favorite body care products for softer, smoother skin from head to toe: Now, watch ballerina Tiler Peck get ready to perform in the Nutcracker: Shop all of our latest obsessions in one place! —Jenny Berg, Allure, 23 Dec. 2024

After all, a ballerina twirling in her jewelry box home keeps spinning no matter what is going on outside her little universe. —Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2024

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

Phrases Containing ballerina

• prima ballerina

Kids Definition

ballerina

noun

bal·​le·​ri·​na ˌbal-ə-ˈrē-nə 

: a female ballet dancer