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The culinary sense of entrée can be traced back to 18th-century Britain. In those days a formal dinner could include not only the principal courses of soup, fish, meat, and dessert, but also an impressive array of side dishes. Between the fish and meat courses would come a small side dish, and because this secondary dish came immediately before the centerpiece of the meal, it was called the entrée, being, in effect, the entrance to the really important part of the meal. As dining habits have changed, meals have become simpler, and fewer courses are served. However, in the US, the course following the appetizer continued to be called the entrée, perhaps because it is a French word, and anything French always sounds elegant.
Examples of entrée in a Sentence
Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2025
Take-home entrees include Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, or Five Cheese Ziti al Forno.
—Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
The cost is $25 if an entree is ordered, or $20 for the dinner salad featured that evening.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
Vegetarian options: Lots of starters, a trio of salads, a couple of flatbreads and one or two entrees depending on the day’s specials.
—Benjy Egel, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025
While experimental, multi-faceted storytelling typically favors a certain, paler group, Government Cheese is the latest TV entree to break from convention and paint Black family life in a refreshingly fun and poignant way.
—Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 15 Apr. 2025
The happy couple are therefore within their rights not to reissue invitations that were previously declined merely because the date, the location and the entree (though not, perhaps, the bridegroom) have changed.
—Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2025
Bell and Anchor in Sag Harbor serves Montauk pearl oysters and lobster, but the fish entrees are only pan-roasted Scottish salmon, bouillabaisse and flounder.
—John Mariani, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Most entrees range from $9.52 to $14.92 - everything comes in twos, naturally (prices higher for lobster and bigger cuts of meat).
—Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Entrée.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entr%C3%A9e. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
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entrée
nounfrom French entrée "act or manner of entering"
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