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.
At the Wumman Spa nail salon, some of Buddemeier's clients sit in the chair for hours, as nail artists build them hyper-realistic fake nails in sheer, glossy neutrals, à la Zoe Kravitz and Zendaya.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Miley has gone mononymous à la Cher, Madonna, Prince, Beyoncé, you get the picture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
We didn’t need to “change” the Constitution, I argued; rather, we needed to build, à la Shelby, more “knowledge,” better understanding, inclusion.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
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
After some icy staring about to detect the culprit, and several smothered sniggers from around the room, the little fat friar puffed himself up once more and declaimed firmly: “Grayling à la Redwall.”
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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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.