cotillion
noun
co·til·lion
kō-ˈtil-yən 
kə-
variants
or less commonly cotillon
1
: a ballroom dance for couples that resembles the quadrille
2
: an elaborate dance with frequent changing of partners carried out under the leadership of one couple at formal balls
3
: a formal ball
Examples of cotillion in a Sentence
young men hoping to meet the women of their dreams at the cotillion
Recent Examples on the Web
Her childhood was crawfish boils and auditions, not high society balls and cotillions.
—
Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
Even as other Collin County communities faced violence during Reconstruction, the Douglass community hosted cotillions, established several churches and looked out for each other.
—Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi, Axios, 27 Feb. 2025
However, when the time came around for her daughter’s debut in the cotillion, the mom and daughter decided to repurpose Keys-Randell’s wedding dress as a ballgown for the event.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
There is even a French cotillion cake, made with cocoa sponge, Grand Mariner buttercream, dark chocolate ganache, Bavarian chocolate, and Grand Mariner punch.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 12 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cotillion
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Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
Even as other Collin County communities faced violence during Reconstruction, the Douglass community hosted cotillions, established several churches and looked out for each other.
—Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi, Axios, 27 Feb. 2025
However, when the time came around for her daughter’s debut in the cotillion, the mom and daughter decided to repurpose Keys-Randell’s wedding dress as a ballgown for the event.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
There is even a French cotillion cake, made with cocoa sponge, Grand Mariner buttercream, dark chocolate ganache, Bavarian chocolate, and Grand Mariner punch.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 12 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cotillion
Cite this Entry
“Cotillion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cotillion. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cotillion
noun
co·til·lion
kō-ˈtil-yən
kə-
1
: a complicated formal dance with frequent changing of partners
2
: a formal ball
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