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

In the front of the spa was the retailer’s sneaker selection, which was highlighted with ballerina sneakers from Adidas and animal print styles from Puma. —Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026

He was accompanied by a ballerina and two percussionists/dancers, who added a sense of dramatic flair. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 5 Feb. 2026

Then keep scrolling to shop more popular footwear, from on-trend ballerina sneakers to running shoes that offer support for exercising. —Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026

But the ballerina, who was the first Black woman to serve as a principal dancer at the renowned American Ballet Theatre, took her final bow with the company in October 2025. —Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for ballerina

• acarina
• casuarina
• celestina
• concertina
• filipina
• foramina
• leucaena
• littorina
• scarlatina
• semolina
• serotina
• signorina

Kids Definition

ballerina

noun

bal·​le·​ri·​na ˌbal-ə-ˈrē-nə 

: a female ballet dancer