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

Complementing daily entree menus, breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets offer a dazzling array of choices that can satiate special dietary needs and preferences. —Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

Highlights of the entree menu include a smashburger with bacon jam, a roasted half-chicken, pork ribs and smoked prime rib on Fridays and Saturdays. —Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 17 Jan. 2025

Bucatini Pomodoro: The cherry tomatoes in the sauce make this dish (one of two vegetarian entree options) sing. —Jessica Boehm, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025

Turkey, the tryptophan-rich Thanksgiving entree, is known for making people sleepy. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 13 Jan. 2025

Whole pizzas start at $20.99 and family meals with a shareable entree and three sides start at $28.99. —Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025

Dust Bowl Brewing Company Old Town Tap House: Buy an entree, get one half off. —Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 3 Jan. 2025

Farmhouse Feasts are purchased packed and cold, and can be heated and ready in two hours, with several sizes, entree options, sides and dessert. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 23 Dec. 2024

Pastries start at $6 with breakfast and lunch entrees in the $14-$20 range. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Jan. 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"