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Showing results for "à la"
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Slang dictionary results for à la.
Synonyms

à la

American  
[ah lah, ah luh, a la] / ˈɑ lɑ, ˈɑ lə, a la /
Or a la

preposition

  1. according to; in the manner of.

    a short poem à la Ogden Nash.

  2. Cooking.

    1. prepared in the manner of, to the taste of, or by.

      chicken à la provençale.

    2. prepared with the ingredient of.


à la British  
/ a la, ɑː lɑː, æ lə /

preposition

  1. in the manner or style of

  2. as prepared in (a particular place) or by or for (a particular person)

"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

à la Idioms  
  1. Like, in the manner of, as in He hoped to break all records, à la Babe Ruth. This expression, an abbreviation of the French à la mode de (for “in the manner of”), has been used in English since the late 1500s.


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.

See Examples For:

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

Yet to listen to the brisk and sportive “Foreign Tongues” is to hear a band clearly going on instinct rather than overthinking the music à la any number of veteran acts in legacy-maintenance mode.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 10, 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

And larding it with grievances, à la Mr. David in “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 25, 2026

He made the honor roll every semester, but unburdened by practicalities, he had daydreams about leaving school, traveling the country à la Jack Kerouac—only writing songs instead of poems.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

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