Debutant vs. Debutante

Debutantnoun

A male who débuts, or appears for the first time.

Debutantnoun

A person who makes his (or her) first appearance before the public.

Debutantenoun

A young woman who makes her first formal appearance in society.

Debutantenoun

A female debutant, especially in sport and entertainment.

Debutante

A young woman making her first appearance in society, especially one who is one of the honorees at a debutante cotillion. See cotillion{4}.

Debutantenoun

a young woman making her debut into society

Debutante

A debutante (from French: débutante, ) or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and, as a new adult, comes out into society at a formal or possibly debutante ball. Originally, the term meant that the woman was old enough to be married, and part of the purpose of her coming out was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families, with a view to marriage within a select circle.