culinary

American  

[kyoo-luh-ner-ee, kuhl-uh-] / ˈkyu ləˌnɛr i, ˈkʌl ə- /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or used in cooking or the kitchen.

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culinary British  

/ ˈkʌlɪnərɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or used in the kitchen or in cookery

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Other Word Forms

• culinarily adverb

Etymology

Origin of culinary

1630–40; < Latin culīnārius of the kitchen, equivalent to culīn ( a ) kitchen, food + -ārius -ary

Explanation

Culinary means having to do with cooking or the kitchen. If you go to culinary school, you're learning how to cook, most likely because you want to work as a chef. If you have a culinary streak, you might love cooking for your friends or maybe just watching cooking shows on TV. If your culinary repertoire includes nothing beyond tuna sandwiches and mac-and-cheese out of the box, you have a lot to learn, culinarily speaking!

Example Sentences

Anna, a culinary school dropout, is drifting from gig to gig, grieving her mother, who was a chef, when she meets Matteo at a hotel bar.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

There’s a particular kind of culinary amnesia that sets in when you start cooking for yourself.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

Back in the speakeasy lounge, guests favor lite fare like charcuterie and pork belly sliders from a menu curated by chef Travis Allen and culinary director Thomas Boemer, a multi-time James Beard award nominee.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

And just like in years past, some of the region’s top culinary talents will be joining them.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

“Water,” I suggest, but continue to record Kareem’s open-mouthed struggle with the piping hot cheese—total culinary drama.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed