ale

noun

ˈāl 

1

: a beer that is brewed by fast fermentation with a quick-acting yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at relatively high temperatures

Note: Ales tend to have a complex, slightly fruity or spicy flavor with a usually darker appearance than lagers and usually with a more intense, bitter flavor of hops. The yeast used to ferment ale is often referred to as "top-fermenting" since it tends to rise to the top of the brewing vessel during fermentation. This yeast also has a tolerance to higher alcohol concentrations, resulting in a beer with a usually higher alcohol content than a lager.

… ale can be produced more quickly because it is fermented at higher temperatures—from 60 to 70 degrees.

—Frank J. Prial

compare pale ale, porter, stout

2

: an English country festival at which ale is the principal beverage

Examples of ale in a Sentence

The bar serves two very different ales.

Recent Examples on the Web

The brewery’s American ale, Allergeez, won a gold medal at the 2020 Great American Beer Festival. —Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026

Really, almost any stew could be made using a little chocolate and then enjoyed with something like a Belgian strong dark ale, grand cru or tripel. —Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2026

According to Mashed, in the colonial era, most breweries made ale. —Bahar Anooshahr, AZCentral.com, 1 Feb. 2026

Riverlands Brewing Company will return to the fest with an exclusive brown ale, Maple River, brewed in collaboration with the Kane Forest Preserve Foundation. —Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English ealu; akin to Old Norse ǫl ale, Lithuanian alus

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing ale

• cream ale
• ginger ale
• India pale ale
• pale ale
• pot ale

Rhymes for ale

• ail
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail
• jail

Kids Definition

ale

noun

ˈā(ə)l 

: an alcoholic drink made from malt and flavored with hops that is usually more bitter than beer