filet mignon

American

[fi-ley min-yon, min-yon, fee-le mee-nyawn] / fɪˈleɪ mɪnˈyɒn, ˈmɪn yɒn, fi lɛ miˈnyɔ̃ /

noun

a small, tender round of steak cut from the thick end of a beef tenderloin.

filet mignon British

/ ˈfɪleɪ ˈmiːnjɒn /

noun

a small tender boneless cut of beef from the inside of the loin

"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

Etymology

Origin of filet mignon

1905–10; < French: dainty fillet

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.

Fresh ramps often sell for over $30 a pound, more than filet mignon or live lobster.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

The five-time major champion goes back to his roots with Irish champ as a main course side dish to accompany either wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

I usually order a ribeye at similar restaurants, but our server highly recommended the filet mignon flight, which was positively decadent.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2026

It’s like comparing filet mignon to ribeye, fundamentally similar but very different in nuance.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2023

Jonas played along, scanning the thing as if there was suddenly something new there—rabbit cassoulet, filet mignon.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023