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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
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Food trucks are taking part this year alongside restaurants, which are offering a free desert or app with the purchase of two entrees or a limited-time menu.
—Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 7 Apr. 2025
The value of that entree into that market is way more significant than selling it to a traditional broadcaster in Japan.
—Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
The first 2,500 players each hour will win a buy-one-get-one free entree.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2025
Our entrees were brought out and despite several people around the woman just kept going with her conversation, phone propped up by her water glass while the teenager was on her phone.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Meals will include entree, salad bar, dessert and drink.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
Lots of starters, a trio of salads, a couple of flatbreads and one or two entrees depending on the day’s specials.
—Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
Kids eat free on Tuesdays, a free bottle of wine accompanies two entrees on Wednesdays and two drinks, two mains and a dessert run customers $85 on date night Thursdays.
—Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Entrée.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entr%C3%A9e. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
entrée
nounfrom French entrée "act or manner of entering"
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