à la

or a la

[ ah lah, ah luh; French a la ]

preposition

1. according to; in the manner of:

   a short poem à la Ogden Nash.

2. Cooking.
   1. prepared in the manner of, to the taste of, or by:

      chicken à la provençale.

   2. prepared with the ingredient of.

à la

/ a la; ɑː lɑː; æ lə /

preposition

1. in the manner or style of
2. as prepared in (a particular place) or by or for (a particular person)

Word History and Origins

Origin of à la¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from French: short for à la mode de “in the style of”; à “at, in, to,” from Latin ad ad- ( def ); la, feminine of le “the,” from Latin ille “that” ( alligator ( def ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of à la¹

C17: from French, short for à la mode de in the style of

Idioms and Phrases

Like, in the manner of, as in He hoped to break all records, à la Babe Ruth . This expression, an abbreviation of the French à la mode de (for “in the manner of”), has been used in English since the late 1500s.

Example Sentences

Live from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Vives, the Colombian singer-songwriter and this year’s Latin Grammy person of the year, opened the awards show with a lively medley of his hits, including “A La Tierra del Olvido” and “Volvi a Nacer.”

From Los Angeles Times

During the day, Zoox riders can view the sky through the sunroof, while at night the ceiling is illuminated with small, twinkling lights à la a starry sky.

From Los Angeles Times

Later, when Sarah Sherman expresses sadness for not having a Jan. 6 repeat, Jost appears regretful by her side while wearing a horned headdress, a la the QAnon Shaman.

From Salon

I said it would be cool if the Sheriff’s Department blocked off Atlantic, but only if it allowed people to take it over, a la a block party.

From Los Angeles Times

The talk is that the 24-year-old is the favourite to win the prestigious accolade having led Real to a La Liga-Champions League double last season, scoring in the Champions League final and also later being named as the competition's best player.

From BBC

Related Words

• according to
• in accord with
• in accordance with
• in the manner of