debut

1 of 2

noun

de·​but ˈdā-ˌbyü 

dā-ˈbyü

variants or less commonly début

1

: a first appearance

made her singing debut

the writer's debut novel

2

: a formal entrance into society

in honor of their daughter's debut

debut

2 of 2

verb

debuted; debuting; debuts

intransitive verb

: to make a first appearance or a formal entrance into society : to make a debut

transitive verb

: to present to the public for the first time : introduce

debut a new product

Examples of debut in a Sentence

Noun

my debut as a pianist

He made his singing debut at a very young age.

She is making her television debut.

Verb

The singer debuted 10 years ago, at the age of 15.

The car debuted 30 years ago.

The computer will soon be debuting in stores across the country.

The network debuts a new sitcom tonight.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Keys will also perform twice throughout the night to celebrate the milestone of her 2001 debut album, Songs in A Minor, including a performance with the Top 3. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026

Jonathan, who was making his Broadway debut, was the bird seller and part of the musical ensemble. —Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026

Verb

Super Apps Vision Come Into Focus Last week, OpenAI debuted a new Codex super app for desktops, with coding tools and other features for computer control and an in-app browser. —Alex Kantrowitz, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026

The second season debuted on April 16, with this week’s Top 10 covering April 13-19. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French début, from débuter to begin, from Middle French desbuter to play first, from des- de- + but starting point, goal — more at butt entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1830, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for debut

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

debut

1 of 2 noun

de·​but ˈdā-ˌbyü  dā-ˈbyü 

1

: a first public appearance

my debut as a pianist

2

: a formal entrance into society

debut

2 of 2 verb

1

: to make a debut

2

: to present to society for the first time

debut a new product