debut

1 of 2

noun

de·​but ˈdā-ˌbyü How to pronounce debut (audio)
dā-ˈbyü
variants or less commonly début
Synonyms of debut
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
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Noun
The Cubs have been relentless against lefties this season, and that pressure continued Wednesday with lefty Jackson Kent, a Lake Park graduate from Hanover Park, making his major-league debut for the Nationals. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 The project is being made in association with Hathiramani Commercial Ventures and co-produced with investor and entrepreneur Manish Hathiramani, who marks his producing debut with the show. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
Netflix’s Pave debuted in February 2026, before ranking seventh globally among the platform’s non-English films and broadening Sang-min’s reach beyond South Korea. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2026 About six months ago, Burger King debuted a major makeover for its flagship hamburger — the Whopper — to reignite interest in the seven-decade-old menu item. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for debut

See All Rhymes for debut

Browse Nearby Words

Debussy
debut
debutanization
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Debut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debut. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

debut

1 of 2 noun
de·​but ˈdā-ˌbyü How to pronounce debut (audio) dā-ˈbyü How to pronounce debut (audio)
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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for debut

Nglish: Translation of debut for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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