debut

debut — noun

1. A person's or group's first public performance, appearance, or presentation — fo

1.nounB1
Definition

A person's or group's first public performance, appearance, or presentation — for example, a singer's first concert, an actor's first film, a writer's first book, or a company's first product release.

Example

Andrew's debut as a chef at a Tokyo restaurant earned him three stars.

debut as + role

Tanvi made her film debut as the lead actress in a drama about Indian dancers.

make one's + [domain] debut

Common collocations
  • make one's debut
  • debut album
  • debut novel
  • stage debut
  • film debut
  • directorial debut
  • international debut
Synonyms
  • first appearance

    more general and less formal; works in any context but lacks the special-occasion feel

  • premiere

    used only for the first showing of a film, play, or show — not for a person's career start

  • launch

    used for products or services, not for performers or their work

Grammar Patterns

make + possessive + debut

debut + as + role

debut + of + product

Common Mistakes

I tried ramen for the first time — it was my food debut.
I tried ramen for the first time.
debut is for a public or professional first appearance, not a personal one.
She made a debut in the school play.
She made her debut in the school play.
use a possessive determiner (my, his, her, its), not the article 'a'.

debut — verb

Word family

  • debutante
    nounC1
  • debutant
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Debut, premiere, and launch all describe a first public showing, but each has a different range. Debut is the broadest — it covers a performer's first concert, an actor's first film, a writer's first book, or a company's first product. Premiere is narrower: it refers only to the first showing of a film, play, or television programme. You can attend the premiere of a movie, but a singer's first album is a debut, not a premiere. Launch is restricted to products, services, or campaigns — a car maker launches a new model, and a publisher launches a magazine, but a pianist does not launch at Carnegie Hall. First appearance is the most general and least formal option; it works in any context but lacks the celebratory tone of debut. For example: 'The young pianist made her debut at Carnegie Hall' sounds natural and special, whereas 'the young pianist made her first appearance at Carnegie Hall' is factual but flat.

debut ↗premiere ↗launch ↗first appearance

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Borrowed from French 'début', which originally meant 'first stroke' — the opening shot in a game of billiards. The French verb 'débuter' literally means 'to make the first stroke'. English adopted the word in the 1700s, first in theatre contexts ('to make a debut on stage') before it spread to sports, music, publishing, and business.