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 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
  1. maid
  2. girl
  3. virgin
  4. ingenue
  5. maiden
  6. deb
Noun
  • Even actors whose roles have limited scope, like Zendaya, Nyong’o, Hawkins and Mia Goth as Penelope’s duplicitous maid, register as vital presences.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
  • This British drama series follows a woman named Emma over the course of more than six decades of her life, from the 1900s through the 1970s, working her way from impoverished maid to the world’s richest woman.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
Definition of maid
Noun
  • A little girl was in her pajamas along with another woman, and authorities were trying to keep the girl inside crime scene tape that had been set up, Humiston said.
    — Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 13 July 2026
  • Then comes another character, Bernard, also young and who, while bathing one day, swims into a girl called Huguette.
    — André Aciman, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of girl
Noun
  • 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
  • Some recycled materials are on par, some are cheaper with virgin, others more expensive, and every single scenario is different.
    — James Morris, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of virgin
Noun
  • Our best ingenues would queue to star as Dora and Nora.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
  • Kerry Washington’s gold Oscar de la Renta halter neck dress called back to ’70s glam, while Chase Infiniti was every part the ingenue in a bubblegum Louis Vuitton gown—accessorized to boot with a tulle and organza stole.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 2 June 2026
Definition of ingenue
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
  • Joe Root, Jofra Archer, Matthew Fisher and Josh Tongue were dismissed in two double-wicket maidens by Henry.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 June 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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