debut

1 of 2

noun

de·​but ˈdā-ˌbyü How to pronounce debut (audio)
dā-ˈbyü
variants or less commonly début
1
: a first appearance
made her singing debut
the writer's debut novel
2
: a formal entrance into society
in honor of their daughter's debut

debut

2 of 2

verb

debuted; debuting; debuts

intransitive verb

: to make a first appearance or a formal entrance into society : to make a debut

transitive verb

: to present to the public for the first time : introduce
debut a new product

Examples of debut in a Sentence

Noun my debut as a pianist He made his singing debut at a very young age. She is making her television debut. Verb The singer debuted 10 years ago, at the age of 15. The car debuted 30 years ago. The computer will soon be debuting in stores across the country. The network debuts a new sitcom tonight.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Swamp Thing was one of the best original series created for it but one of the last to debut. Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024 The 49ers beat Tampa Bay at Levi’s Stadium each of the previous two seasons, winning 35-7 in Brock Purdy’s 2022 starting debut against Tom Brady and claiming a 27-14 victory last Nov. 19. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Verb
To create this much fuller world for the series, showrunner Ben Watkins turned to Patterson’s many books about Cross, the 33rd of which will debut just before Thanksgiving. Ronda Racha Penrice, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024 And Dana Carvey debuted a new Elon Musk impression, the court jester to Trump’s mighty king. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for debut 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French début, from débuter to begin, from Middle French desbuter to play first, from des- de- + but starting point, goal — more at butt entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1830, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of debut was in 1751

Dictionary Entries Near debut

Cite this Entry

“Debut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debut. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

debut

1 of 2 noun
1
: a first public appearance
my debut as a pianist
2
: a formal entrance into society

debut

2 of 2 verb
1
: to make a debut
2
: to present to society for the first time
debut a new product

More from Merriam-Webster on debut

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!