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

Colorado Ballet ballerinas from left to right Izzy Crouch, Julianna Frank, middle and Callie Black, pose with guests Any Skinner and Richard Brandon as well as Santa and Mrs Claus for photos during the 36th annual champagne cascade at the Brown Palace hotel in Denver on Nov. 10, 2024. —Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024

The feminine ballerina flat has been reimagined for fall with a twist that commands a more downtown edge–thanks to details like chunky hardware, unexpected shapes, and glossy leathers. —Laura Jackson, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2024

De Armas stars as a ballerina turned assassin in the film, which officially is called From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. —Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Sep. 2024

But actually, Fernando was a world-class athlete who played with the grace of a ballerina. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 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