prima ballerina

noun

pri·ma ballerina ˈprē-mə-

: the principal female dancer in a ballet company

Examples of prima 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.

Cookies-and-Cream Pavlova The story goes that Pavlova, a dessert which both Australia and New Zealand lay claim to, is named after the prima ballerina Anna Pavlova, who performed in both countries in the 1920s. —

Eric Kim, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2024 The comedy teams Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse as a fading movie star who joins a Broadway show much to the chagrin of a prima ballerina. —

Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024 Garr fancied herself a prima ballerina, obsessively pursuing that goal after her father died. —

Valerie J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 Ferri, 61, is an Olivier Award-winning performer and prima ballerina assoluta (an honor given to the most notable female dancers) who has been affiliated with such prestigious companies as the Royal Ballet, La Scala and the Hamburg Ballet. —

Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 26 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for prima ballerina

Word History

Etymology

Italian, leading ballerina

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of prima ballerina was in 1864

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Prima ballerina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prima%20ballerina. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

Copy Citation