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latte

American

[lah-tey, laht-te] / ˈlɑ teɪ, ˈlɑt tɛ /

noun

Also called caffè latte. hot espresso with steamed milk, usually topped with foamed milk.
tea made with steamed milk, usually topped with foamed milk.

latte British

/ ˈlɑːteɪ, ˈlæteɪ /

noun

coffee made with hot milk

"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 latte

First recorded in 1990–95; from Italian (caffè) latte “(coffee with) milk,” from Latin lac (stem lact- ); cognate with French lait, Portuguese leite, Spanish leche

Compare meaning

How does latte compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

cappuccino vs. latte

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.

People have launched bestselling books and lucrative speaking careers around the so-called latte factor.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

I order a latte and a whole grain pastry twisted with ham and cheese.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

There’s no alcohol, latte machine, Wi-Fi password or bathroom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Sophie Downing only intended to buy a matcha latte when she visited her local coffee shop with a £10 gift card.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

Vic took another sip of her latte and tapped her long fingers on the table.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

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