After training at the Paris Conservatiore, he first came to popular attention with his ballet Copp?ia (1870), its title referring to a doll, depicted in the work, which comes to life. Other ballets include Sylvia (1876) and La Source (1866). Delibes also composed various operas, including Tchaikovsky enough for the composer to rate Delibes more highly than Brahms.
He died in 1891, and was buried in the Cimetiere de Montmartre, Paris.