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.

Related Words

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