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

Brush up on how to style ballerina heels, wherever you’re headed, with our favorite outfit ideas below. — India Roby, Glamour, 21 July 2026

Journalists often claim that Holzinger wanted to be a ballerina but started too late, and with the wrong body, to do so. — Lauren Oyler, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Look for Degas's ballerinas, Van Gogh's self-portraits, Toulouse-Lautrec's cancan dancers, Cézanne's still lifes, and Monet's Giverny gardens. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026

While classic ballerina pumps will always have a time and a place, summer 2026 is all about the ugly flat. — Jordan Julian, InStyle, 18 July 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