Skip to content

ballet

ballet

noun bah-LEH Rare
Arts & Culture Dance

Usage Note

Ballet is borrowed directly into English from French; the final -t is silent in French (bah-LEH). France, especially Paris with its Opéra national de Paris, has been central to classical ballet since the 17th century. Un corps de ballet ('corps de ballet') refers to the ensemble dancers as opposed to soloists; le ballet can also be used metaphorically for any graceful or choreographed activity.

Examples

"Elle rêve de danser dans un ballet."

Natural Translation

She dreams of dancing in a ballet.

Explore French by topic