ballet

noun

bal·​let ˈba-ˌlā 

ba-ˈlā

1

a

: a theatrical art form using dancing, music, and scenery to convey a story, theme, or atmosphere

b

: dancing in which conventional poses and steps are combined with light flowing figures (such as leaps and turns)

2

: music for a ballet

3

: a group that performs ballets

4

: something likened to a ballet especially in complexity and precision of movement

Where else can you peek into the kitchen and see a quiet ballet of cooks, their entire attention focused on feeding a mere 65 people?

—Ruth Reichl

Rather, it is people and the daily ballet of urban life that make a city.

—Steven Earnest et al.

balletic

ba-ˈle-tik 

adjective

Examples of ballet in a Sentence

She does tap dancing and ballet.

We are going to a ballet tonight.

This is one of my favorite ballets.

Recent Examples on the Web

Monday’s celestial ballet will be very similar to the dramatic partial eclipse that stirred joy across the county in August 2017. —Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2024

Bravo was the kind of stop on the dial where Federico Fellini films were shown along with jazz and ballet performances. —Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Artistic leaders of the production, choreographed by Septime Webre, include Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly and the ballet's founding Artistic Director Victoria Lyras. George Strait, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town May 4. —The Indianapolis Star, 27 Mar. 2024

Growing up, Lila studied piano and took ballet classes. —Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

The other key component of the genre — which, to be fair, owes plenty to decades of martial arts films from Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand — is that the fights be choreographed as nonstop action ballets, stretching and bending the laws of physics as much as any Busby Berkeley dance routine. —Ty Burr, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024

At the time, many ballet companies rejected Black dancers altogether. —Cat Woods, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024

While strolling around New York City recently, Holmes sported a chic look featuring a pair of classic black ballet flats. —Taylor Jean Stephan, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024

Her silver ballet flats, boho bag, and white scrunchy only added to her effortless aesthetic. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "theatrical presentation telling a story by means of dance and mime," borrowed from Italian balletto (also "short, well-done dance, semblance of a dance done for amusement"), from ballo "dance" (noun derivative of ballare "to dance," going back to Late Latin ballāre) + -etto, diminutive suffix — more at ball entry 3

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing ballet

• corps de ballet
• water ballet

Kids Definition

ballet

noun

bal·​let ˈbal-ā 

ba-ˈlā

1

a

: an art form that uses dancing to tell a story or express a theme

b

: dancing in which poses and steps are combined with leaps and turns

2

: a group that performs ballets

Etymology

from French ballet "ballet," derived from Italian ballare "to dance," from Latin ballare "to dance" — related to ball entry 3