ballet

noun

bal·​let ba-ˈlā 

ˈba-ˌlā

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

With three years of classical ballet and acting training at Havana’s Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA), her technique improved significantly, eventually earning her first place in the artistic category at a Brazilian pole competition. — Maykel Gonzalez, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026

His idiosyncratic movement style combines classical ballet, modern dance and emphatic physical theater, harkening back to his early training in Chicago with Sybil Shearer. — Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

Enter the ballet sneaker -- a hybrid shoe that combines the delicate, feminine details of a ballet flat with the comfort and chunkier feel of a sneaker. — Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

Slim retro trainers and terrace shoes brought them closer to everyday fashion; ballet sneakers softened the silhouettes. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026

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

• ballet flat
• ballet shoe
• ballet slipper
• corps de ballet
• water ballet

Rhymes for ballet

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• belay
• beltway
• beret

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