debutant

American

[deb-yoo-tahnt, -yuh-] / ˈdɛb yʊˌtɑnt, -yə- /

Or débutant

noun

a person who makes a debut into a professional career or before the public.

debutant British

/ ˈdɛbjʊˌtɑːnt, -ˌtænt /

noun

a person who is making a first appearance in a particular capacity, such as a sportsperson playing in a first game for a team

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of debutant

1815–25; < French débutant, present participle of débuter. See debut, -ant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kroupi is another opportunity Arsenal have explored after the 19-year-old scored 13 times in the Premier League, a record for a teenage debutant.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Olly Woodburn's early try was cancelled out by Leicester debutant George Pearson as Orlando Bailey kicked three first-half penalties to Henry Slade's two.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

At 17 years, six months, and 27 days, she become her country's youngest debutant.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Stand-in captain Charlie Dean and 18-year-old debutant Tilly Corteen-Coleman salvaged a tense one-wicket victory from an underwhelming overall performance to ensure England's summer began with a win in the first-one day international against New Zealand.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

At the age of forty-one, I am returning to school and have to think of myself as what my French textbook calls "a true debutant."

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023