à la
Americanpreposition
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according to; in the manner of.
a short poem à la Ogden Nash.
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Cooking.
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prepared in the manner of, to the taste of, or by.
chicken à la provençale.
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prepared with the ingredient of.
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preposition
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in the manner or style of
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as prepared in (a particular place) or by or for (a particular person)
Etymology
Origin of à la
First recorded in 1580–90; from French: short for à la mode de “in the style of”; à “at, in, to,” from Latin ad ad- ( def. ); la, feminine of le “the,” from Latin ille “that” ( cf. alligator ( def. ))
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Winocour’s filmmaking itself is as steely as a Parisian’s gaze after you order the last croissant à la pâtisserie.
From Salon • Jun. 29, 2026
LeBeau never hits a false note as Jerry in a performance that has the rough vulnerability of a Shepard master class à la “True West” or “Curse of the Starving Class.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Western allies are getting off the pot about rearmament and closer tactical integration à la the U.S. and Israel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
Is the U.S. delegation prepared to reveal new information proving that crucial last point, à la Adlai Stevenson’s Cuban Missile Crisis slide show?
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Daddy didn’t ask Joe where he had been but just said, “Come on in and have some pancakes, à la Marly, Joe, all decorated with first-run Chris!”
From "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.