ballerina

noun

bal·​le·​ri·​na ˌba-lə-ˈrē-nə 

: a woman who is a ballet dancer : danseuse

Examples of ballerina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Courtesy of brand Chloé Jelly Sandals $590 Bloomingdale's Heeled thong sandals with ballerina ribbons and an asymmetrical midi skirt. —Renata Joffre, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2025

Think of the Simone Rocha ballerina sneakers or a pair of Acne Studios glossy lace-ups, which would look unexpectedly fabulous teamed with a great white dress for the new season. —Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2025

High fashion has embraced the ballet sneaker (or ballerina trainers), a hybrid between classic ballet flats with the extra oomph of your favorite sneakers. —Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2025

Ballerina flats and sneaker ballerina, seen less on the catwalk and more in showrooms, with a large offer on flat and comfortable shoes but still feminine. —Sandra Salibian, WWD, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, "woman who dances professionally or for pleasure," feminine counterpart of ballarino, ballerino "professional dancer, person who loves to dance," from ballare "to dance" (going back to Late Latin ballāre) + -ar-, -er-, extension in nominal derivation + -ino, suffix of occupations (as in postino "mailman," scalpellino "stonemason"), going back to Latin -īnus -ine entry 1 — more at ball entry 3

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ballerina

• prima ballerina

Rhymes for ballerina

• acarina
• casuarina
• celestina
• concertina
• filipina
• foramina
• leucaena
• littorina
• scarlatina
• semolina
• serotina
• signorina

Kids Definition

ballerina

noun

bal·​le·​ri·​na ˌbal-ə-ˈrē-nə 

: a female ballet dancer