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.
After her father’s death, Eve meets Winston (Ian McShane), who brings her to the theater/headquarters of the Ruska Roma, where The Director (Anjelica Huston) trains the young girl to not only become a ballerina, but an expert assassin. Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025 Movies have long cherished the contrast between a ballerina’s delicacy and lithe visuals with the gritty determination required to leap, dance and twirl in the highly unnatural way that is dancing on your toes. Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 31 May 2025 On Thursday, May 8, the 37-year-old former ballerina and author attended the New York City Ballet 2025 Spring Gala. Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 10 May 2025 Haden: What drew me to the word was that dichotomy of being on the verge of falling out of balance, but needing an incredible amount of skill to maintain your posture, like a ballerina. Liam Hess, Vogue, 2 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ballerina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballerina. Accessed 18 Jun. 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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