What does aioli mean? Aioli is a sauce made by mashing garlic and olive oil into a paste, sometimes with the addition of egg. Traditionally, Spanish-style aioli is a thick paste made only from garlic and olive oil, while French-style aioli often includes egg. Sometimes aioli is used as a fancier word for mayonnaise, especially when it has garlic in it. In all of its forms, aioli is an emulsion, meaning its ingredients are specially blended into smooth consistency. Example: The menu says aioli, but I’m pretty sure this is just mayo.
1895–1900; < French aïoli < Provençal, equivalent to ai garlic (< Latin allium ) + oli oil (< Latin oleum; see oil)
How does aioli compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Aioli is a French sauce made with garlic, egg, and olive oil. If you describe aioli as "fancy mayonnaise," you're not wrong! Although aioli is extremely similar to mayonnaise, there are a few basic differences. While mayo is usually an emulsion of canola oil, egg yolk, vinegar or lemon juice, and salt, garlic is at the heart of aioli. Traditionally, it's made by crushing a lot of garlic and thoroughly mixing it with olive oil (and sometimes egg). Purists insist that this is true aioli, a word that comes from the French ail, "garlic," and the Latin oleum, "oil."
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A squeeze of lemon sharpens, a handful of dill or parsley brightens, fried shallots or breadcrumbs add texture, a drizzle of oil or aioli brings richness.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
Hall tentatively dips a fry into the truffle aioli sauce.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025
For creamy, yolky dishes: fold it into cheesy potatoes, swipe it into horseradish aioli alongside fries, or whisk it into a horseradish–ranch dressing for a steak salad.
From Salon • Sep. 2, 2025
They serve it with a nice garlic aioli.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2025
The average English palate would shudder at the flavour of aioli, but it would be charmed by the insertion of that petit point d'ail which turned mere goodness into triumph and laurelled perfection.
From The Secret Glory by Machen, Arthur
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.
