ala

1 of 4

noun

ˈā-lə 

plural alae ˈā-ˌlē 

: a wing or a winglike anatomic part or process (see process entry 1 sense 4)

alar

ˈā-lər 

adjective

alary

ˈā-lə-rē 

adjective

Ala

2 of 4

abbreviation (1)

Alabama

ALA

3 of 4

abbreviation (2)

American Library Association

à la

4 of 4

preposition

ˌä-(ˌ)lä 

ˌä-lə, 

ˌa-lə

variants or less commonly a la

: in the manner of

speaking with a passion à la Martin Luther King, Jr.

Examples of ala in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Preposition

The Peruvian-style pollo a la brasa from Loli Farms has already worked its way into my weeknight dinner repertoire. —Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026

Kravitz’s updo, which features pieces of hair escaping a la Wuthering Heights. —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 4 May 2026

Lunch and dinner are served a la carte and have the same plant-forward menu. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026

At this cheffy Columbia bistro, Mother’s Day will entail a live jazz brunch with a la carte menu options such as mini beignets, pimento-cheese croque madames and lobster quiches. —Jane Godiner, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026

This is my insurance policy to resist temptation a la Starbucks. —Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Apr. 2026

And five years ago, everyone thought direct [to consumer] distribution [a la Tesla] was going to be this great savior for the auto industry. —Jamie Lincoln Kitman, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026

Were there better opportunities elsewhere, even staying within the industrial sector, that had more AI exposure, a la Club name GE Vernova ? —Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026

And it is designed to recur on an annual basis a la traditional network series. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin āla "armpit, upper arm, wing, axil" going back to *akslā, going back to Indo-European *h₂eḱs-(i)l-eh₂- (whence also Germanic *ahslō-, whence Old English eaxl "shoulder," Old Frisian axle, axele "shoulder, armpit," Old Saxon ahsla, Old High German ahsla, ahsala, Old Icelandic ǫxl "shoulder"), derivative with an -l- suffix from *h₂eḱs- "pivot around which something rotates, axle" — more at axis

Preposition

French à la

First Known Use

Noun

1634, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

circa 1642, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

ala

1 of 3 noun

ˈā-lə 

plural alae -ˌlē 

: a wing or a winglike anatomic process or part

especially : ala nasi

Ala

2 of 3 abbreviation

alanine; alanyl

ALA

3 of 3 abbreviation

1

alpha-linolenic acid

2

aminolevulinic acid