ballet

noun

bal·​let ˈba-ˌlā 

ba-ˈlā

1

a

: a theatrical art form using dancing, music, and scenery to convey a story, theme, or atmosphere

b

: dancing in which conventional poses and steps are combined with light flowing figures (such as leaps and turns)

2

: music for a ballet

3

: a group that performs ballets

4

: something likened to a ballet especially in complexity and precision of movement

Where else can you peek into the kitchen and see a quiet ballet of cooks, their entire attention focused on feeding a mere 65 people?

—Ruth Reichl

Rather, it is people and the daily ballet of urban life that make a city.

—Steven Earnest et al.

balletic

ba-ˈle-tik 

adjective

Examples of ballet in a Sentence

She does tap dancing and ballet.

We are going to a ballet tonight.

This is one of my favorite ballets.

Recent Examples on the Web

Madewell The Greta Ballet Flat Mule Tie your new workwear together with these smart-looking ballet flats from Madewell, which come in black, olive, silver, rose, and merlot. —Mia Huelsbeck, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2024

Happily, Holmes has signature pieces, like luxe capacious tote bags and ballet flats, that anchor her looks whatever the weather. —Alice Newbold, Vogue, 16 Aug. 2024

The resulting piece, featuring spoken word and orchestration, debuted as a ballet in 2023 with characters named for Greek musical scales and tracing his own journey from Staten Island to concert halls. —Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 16 Aug. 2024

Its choreographer, Helen Pickett, is a former member of William Forsythe’s troupe and a sometime Wooster Group performer who has carved out a niche as a creator of dramatic ballets based on literary subjects. —The New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "theatrical presentation telling a story by means of dance and mime," borrowed from Italian balletto (also "short, well-done dance, semblance of a dance done for amusement"), from ballo "dance" (noun derivative of ballare "to dance," going back to Late Latin ballāre) + -etto, diminutive suffix — more at ball entry 3

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing ballet

• corps de ballet
• water ballet

Kids Definition

ballet

noun

bal·​let ˈbal-ā 

ba-ˈlā

1

a

: an art form that uses dancing to tell a story or express a theme

b

: dancing in which poses and steps are combined with leaps and turns

2

: a group that performs ballets

Etymology

from French ballet "ballet," derived from Italian ballare "to dance," from Latin ballare "to dance" — related to ball entry 3