empanada

noun

em·​pa·​na·​da ˌem-pə-ˈnä-də How to pronounce empanada (audio)
: a turnover with a sweet or savory filling

Examples of empanada 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.
Venezuelan restaurants selling empanadas and arepas opened in the same plaza as a Mexican supermarket that offers tacos and enchiladas. Gisela Salomon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025 Panaderia El Guero Almost all panaderias are the same, baking up the classics like conchas and cuernitos, but at Panaderia El Guero, they are known specifically for their empanadas. Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025 Enjoy appetizers of beef or chicken empanadas or cool off with a refreshing mango or soursop smoothie. Loán Lake, Charlotte Observer, 16 Sep. 2025 Several others waited to get their hands on tacos, empanadas and other savory delicacies. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for empanada

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, from Spanish, feminine of empanado, past participle of empanar to bread, from em- (from Latin in-) + pan bread, from Latin panis — more at food

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of empanada was in 1866

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Cite this Entry

“Empanada.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empanada. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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