falafel

noun

fa·​la·​fel fə-ˈlä-fəl How to pronounce falafel (audio)
variants or less commonly felafel
plural falafel also felafel
: a spicy mixture of ground vegetables (such as chickpeas or fava beans) formed into balls or patties and then fried

Examples of falafel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recipes commonly using cilantro include dahl, chimichurri, guisado, and falafel. Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 5 Aug. 2025 Meanwhile, on Reddit, some say removing chickpeas’ outer layer helps improve their texture, making for smoother hummus or falafel, for example. Sarah Garone, Health, 5 Aug. 2025 Vegetarian options: About a quarter of the menu, including a soft pretzel, a falafel sandwich and a golden beet-pomegranate-goat cheese salad. Benjy Egel, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025 Gigi’s sells a variety of juices and smoothies, as well as other options like the falafel bowl and soul tacos. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for falafel

Word History

Etymology

Arabic falāfil

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of falafel was in 1936

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Falafel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/falafel. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on falafel

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!