à la carte

/ˌɑː lɑː ˈkɑːrt/ French Origin Food & Drink

Original Word

à la carte

French

Entered English

19th century

First recorded usage in English

The Story Behind "à la carte"

From French 'à la carte', literally 'according to the menu'. Refers to ordering individual dishes rather than a fixed-price meal. The phrase entered English restaurant vocabulary in the 19th century.

Example Usage

"We ordered à la carte rather than the prix fixe menu."

All French Loanwords Look Up in Dictionary

More French Loanwords

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