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

Part ballerina, part pump, the style combines the gamine energy of your favorite flats with the limb-elongating power of a classic heel. — Christina Holevas, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026

Willow Nightingale Mercedes Mone received a ballerina entrance, while Willow had a storybook entrance. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Add heeled ballerinas, keep the rest of your outfit relatively unfussy, and let the contrast between prim and polished do the hard work. — Georgia Brown, Glamour, 29 Aug. 2026

Bridging two genres, the shoe is presented as a moccasin-ballerina — or a ballet loafer. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 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

• ballerina flat
• ballerina shoe
• ballerina slipper
• 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