Definition

1. Noun:
   • A young woman making her formal entrance into upper-class society: A "debutante" is a young woman, typically from a wealthy or aristocratic family, who is formally introduced to society at a special event, marking her readiness for marriage and adult social life.
   • A person making a first public appearance in a particular capacity: In a broader, modern sense, it can refer to anyone, though often still a young woman, making a highly publicized first appearance in a specific field, such as entertainment or fashion.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The debutante wore a beautiful white gown at the ball. (The young woman being formally introduced to society wore a beautiful white gown at the ball.)
  • She was the most talked-about debutante of the season. (She was the most discussed young woman making her societal entrance that social season.)
  • The young actress was a debutante on the red carpet last night. (The young actress made her first major public appearance on the red carpet last night.)

Advanced Usage

• "Debutante ball": A formal event where debutantes are presented. This is a compound term.
  • Her family spent a fortune on her debutante ball.
• Used metaphorically to describe a first appearance that is grand or significant.
  • The new model was the designer's debutante for the fall collection.

Variants and Related Words

• Debut (n/v): The first public appearance or performance. This is the root word.
  • Noun: She made her professional debut in the play.
  • Verb: The product will debut next month.
• Debutant (n): The male equivalent; a young man making a formal debut (less common than "debutante").

Synonyms

• Debutant (specifically for a male).
• Newcomer (a more general term for someone new to a field or activity).
• Ingénue (in performance contexts, a naive young woman, often making her debut).

Related Phrases

• "Come out": A phrasal verb historically linked to debutantes; a young woman "came out" into society.
  • In the past, a girl would come out at the age of eighteen.
• "Presented to society": The formal act of introducing a debutante.
  • She was presented to society at the annual gala.

Noun

1. a young woman making her debut into society