paprika

American  

[pa-pree-kuh, puh-, pah-, pap-ri-kuh] / pæˈpri kə, pə-, pɑ-, ˈpæp rɪ kə /

noun

• paprikas
  plural

1. a red, powdery condiment derived from dried, ripe sweet peppers.

---

adjective

1. cooked or seasoned with paprika.

paprika British  

/ ˈpæprɪkə, pæˈpriː- /

noun

1. a mild powdered seasoning made from a sweet variety of red pepper

2. the fruit or plant from which this seasoning is obtained

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• paprikas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of paprika

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Hungarian, from Serbo-Croatian pàprika “pepper, paprika,” derivative of pȁpar “ground pepper,” from unattested Slavic pĭprŭ, pĭprĭ (compare Old Church Slavonic pĭprŭ, Slovenian péper, Czech pepř, Polish pieprz ), ultimately from Latin piper pepper

Explanation

Paprika is a bright red spice that's made from dried bell peppers. If you've ever tasted Hungarian goulash, you're familiar with the flavor of paprika. While it's common to associate paprika with Hungarian and other Eastern European cuisines, it's actually used all over the world. You'll find paprika flavoring Spanish dishes like gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic), Moroccan lentils, and even sprinkled on top of deviled eggs at a North American picnic. Paprika is a Hungarian word from a Latin root, piper, or "pepper."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paprika paprikas

Ethnographer Imre Romsics said paprika became an important symbol of Hungarian identity during the 19th century, "alongside costume, folk art and other traditions".

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

The area devoted to paprika peaked at 13,029 hectares in 1979 and had fallen to 1,410 hectares by 2024, according to official statistics.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

My House Spice, which I use on pretty much everything, is my mother’s recipe, a Creole and Cajun spice blend with salt, pepper, granulated onion and garlic, cayenne and paprika.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

Orange chips are a Black Country classic, thought to be dipped in a batter with added turmeric or paprika to give them their distinctive colour.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

Her mother began pulling spices from the cabinet—salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, and oregano.

From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson

Add 1 ½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning and both paprikas to the sausage fat.

From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026

Add the tomato paste, both paprikas and the rosemary; raise the heat to medium-high; and stir until the tomato paste begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, 3 to 4 minutes.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 26, 2023

That’s as true when peppers are fresh as when they are dried and ground, which opens up a whole other world of paprikas, from sweet to hot to smoked.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 8, 2016

It offers tastings of all its products, including Molnar and Hodi paprikas.

From New York Times ● Oct. 17, 2014

Compared with her these envying lady copy cats were as pale paprikas are to the real tabasco.

From Sundry Accounts by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb