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debutante

noun

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 The Deb tells the story of two female cousins navigating their awkward adolescence ahead of the annual debutante ball, which is like prom. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 12 May 2026 The Deb dispute is playing out across different fronts in Los Angeles and Australia, overshadowing the feel-good movie about outback teens attending a debutante ball. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for debutante
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debutante
  1. maid
  2. girl
  3. virgin
  4. ingenue
  5. maiden
  6. deb
Noun
  • The film, directed by May el-Toukhy, is set in Denmark in the aftermath of World War II, as a maid prepares to marry her former employer.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Jackson was particularly vocal in her criticism of the show’s shallow scripts, which featured plotlines about them going undercover as French maids, showgirls, lifeguards and, perhaps most infamously, prison inmates.
    — Michael Callahan, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of maid
Noun
  • Why on earth the Magician would choose an American girl remains unclear.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • At least 25 states are now enforcing laws or policies banning transgender women and girls from competing in at least some women’s and girls' sports and three others have adopted laws but have enforcement blocked by the courts.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of girl
Noun
  • Well, after five years, Saturday Night Live is about to be left with only one sad virgin.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The sleeveless virgin-wool dress had a close fit throughout, with a high cowl neckline.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of virgin
Noun
  • When the Television Academy announced its nominations in July, the story wasn’t about the ingenues.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of ingenue
Noun
  • This second tale unfolds in an isolated cabin in the 1950s, as a lonely man on death’s door, Tom (Nick Nolte), a father in wait for his estranged daughter, finds an unconscious maiden, Alice (Caylee Cowan), outside in the snow.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Both were wins, a maiden-breaking score at seven furlongs (3/4 of a mile) at Churchill Downs on June 7, 2026 and a valiant win by a neck in the mile and a sixteenth Indiana Derby on July 11.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of maiden
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
Definition of deb

Browse Nearby Words

debut
debutante
debutantes
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Cite this Entry

“Debutante.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debutante. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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