entrée

noun

en·​trée ˈän-ˌtrā 

 also  än-ˈtrā

variants or entree

1

a

: the act or manner of entering : entrance

b

: freedom of entry or access

2

: the main course of a meal in the U.S.

Did you know?

The culinary sense of entrée can be traced back to 18th-century Britain. In those days a formal dinner could include not only the principal courses of soup, fish, meat, and dessert, but also an impressive array of side dishes. Between the fish and meat courses would come a small side dish, and because this secondary dish came immediately before the centerpiece of the meal, it was called the entrée, being, in effect, the entrance to the really important part of the meal. As dining habits have changed, meals have become simpler, and fewer courses are served. However, in the US, the course following the appetizer continued to be called the entrée, perhaps because it is a French word, and anything French always sounds elegant.

Synonyms

• access
• accession
• admission
• admittance
• door
• doorway
• entrance
• entry
• gateway
• ingress
• key
• passport
• ticket

Examples of entrée in a Sentence

We had steak as an entrée.

entrée to the country club is through sponsorship by someone who is already a member

Recent Examples on the Web

Several entrees and sides are made in-house, then frozen: fries, meatloaf, beef stroganoff, roasted veggies and more. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2025

In addition, this location will give free entrees for a year to 100 local heroes making a difference in the Morgan Hill area. —Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 23 May 2025

Most entrees at the Vibrato Grill cost more than $55, and the charge for the nightly music is $20-$75 per person. —Gary Stoller, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

The lunch specials are just that — special — and entrees come with miso soup and a salad. —Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 21 May 2025

At the end of most nights, the restaurant allowed Gordon to take slices and some other entrees home free of charge. —Chandler Rome, New York Times, 19 May 2025

Start with the pimento cheese plate, then follow it up with any of his excellent entrees (like the Lamb Burger Helper). —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 16 May 2025

Interestingly, the company saw some more guests trade up from a chicken or seafood entree into steak. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 8 May 2025

Food prices range from $9.30 for a bowl with one side and one entree to a five-person family meal with two large sides and three large entrees that begins at $35. —Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French entrée, from Old French — more at entry

First Known Use

1692, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

entrée

noun

en·​trée

variants or entree

ˈän-ˌtrā 

1

: the main dish of a meal

2

a

: entrance entry 1 sense 1

b

: freedom of entry

Etymology

from French entrée "act or manner of entering"