prom formal dance Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/prom Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/prom Written by Meg Matthias Meg Matthias is Senior Video Production Manager at Encyclopædia Britannica. Meg Matthias Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 18, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents prom, formal dance held in American high schools, typically for students in the spring semester of their junior or senior year. Prom is considered a rite of passage for many American teenagers and has a prominent place in American popular culture. Prom stems from the word promenade, which refers to both a type of dance and the ceremony that opens a formal ball. The first proms likely evolved from 18th-century debutante balls, which marked a young woman’s formal entry into society. These early proms took place not in high schools but at prestigious East Coast universities: Harvard, Amherst, and Smith ...(100 of 1096 words)

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