debutante

Definition of debutantenext
as in maid
a young upper-class woman who has begun going to special parties where she will meet and be seen by other people from the upper class The invitation-only event is a prized ticket for the city's debutantes.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of debutante At balls that approximate what Bridgerton might be like if the charming debutantes were matched with white-haired monsters instead of handsome, age-appropriate nobles, Commanders spike their prospective Wives’ drinks. Judy Berman, Time, 8 Apr. 2026 For young Black girls, cotillions and debutante balls are more than just a coming of age ceremony. Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026 But, by the beginning of the Gilded Age in America in the 1870s, the sartorial code became the upper class’s go-to for the opera, debutante balls, and any of the fancy-dress parties thrown by socialites of the day. Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026 Portugal vs Uzbekistan Portugal's second match in Houston will be against debutante Uzbekistan. Peter Warren, Houston Chronicle, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for debutante
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debutante
Noun
  • When the elevator opened on Sonya’s floor, a uniformed maid stood waiting at the apartment’s front door.
    Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
  • The person who started that rumor is the present-day, extremely status-conscious Queen Dowager (Our Unwritten Seoul’s Jang Young-nam), who is furious at the idea her husband would make a lowly maid a concubine.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 17 July 2026
Noun
  • In 2013, four researchers from Terre des Hommes Netherlands posed as pre-pubescent Filipino girls on 19 different online chat forums.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 July 2026
  • These women and girls did not choose their circumstances, and the law should not compound their trauma.
    Eric "Doc" Stelnicki, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
Noun
  • Diana, a virgin born into an aristocratic family, was seen as an ideal match for the future king.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026
  • In another, called Leucippe and Clitophon, Leucippe is saved from being sacrificed as a virgin by the timely appearance of an actor who uses theatre tricks used to perform deaths on stage to fake her death and spirit her away.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • Actresses who are no longer ingenues make striking appearances, not only in dramas, but also at formal events.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • Our best ingenues would queue to star as Dora and Nora.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • The heartbreak of falling just short of her maiden maiden title was visibly heavy on Muchová during the trophy ceremony.
    Wayne Sterling, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • Of course, Ash has to defeat plenty of Deadites along the way, all while falling in love with the beautiful maiden Sheila (Embeth Davidtz).
    Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026
Noun
  • Kemper and her older sister (far left) posed with another deb dressed in pink, Reagan Sacks (far right), who brought some drama to the blush color in a tulle Schiaparelli gown.
    Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 2 Dec. 2025
  • The viral video showed Martin, dressed in custom blue Valentino, in a moment with another deb, French countess Aliénor Loppin de Montmort.
    Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 18 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Debutante.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debutante. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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