entrée

noun

en·​trée ˈän-ˌtrā 

 also  än-ˈtrā

variants or entree

1

a

: the act or manner of entering : entrance

b

: freedom of entry or access

2

: the main course of a meal in the U.S.

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

• access
• accession
• admission
• admittance
• door
• doorway
• entrance
• entry
• gateway
• ingress
• key
• passport
• ticket

Examples of entrée in a Sentence

We had steak as an entrée.

entrée to the country club is through sponsorship by someone who is already a member

Recent Examples on the Web

Each option includes at least one entree and one side dish. —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

Word History

Etymology

French entrée, from Old French — more at entry

First Known Use

1692, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

entrée

noun

en·​trée

variants or entree

ˈän-ˌtrā 

1

: the main dish of a meal

2

a

: entrance entry 1 sense 1

b

: freedom of entry

Etymology

from French entrée "act or manner of entering"