à la carte

[ ah luh-kahrt, al-uh; French ala-kart ]

adjective, adverb
  1. with a separate price for each dish offered on the menu: dinner à la carte.: Compare prix fixe, table d'hôte.

  2. with a separate price for each item on a list: Spa treatments can be booked à la carte, or you can choose one of our packages.

Origin of à la carte

1
First recorded in 1815–20; from French: literally, “according to the menu”; see origin at carte

Words Nearby à la carte

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for à la carte

à la carte

/ (ɑː lɑː ˈkɑːt, æ lə, French a la kart) /


adjective, adverb
  1. (of a menu or a section of a menu) having dishes listed separately and individually priced: Compare table d'hôte

  2. (of a dish) offered on such a menu; not part of a set meal

Origin of à la carte

1
C19: from French, literally: according to the card

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012