margarine

noun

mar·​ga·​rine ˈmär-jə-rən 

-ˌrēn;

ˈmärj-rən

: a food product made usually from vegetable oils churned with ripened skim milk to a smooth emulsion and used like butter

Examples of margarine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When butter had to compete with margarine, its yellow color got a boost to appear richer. —Alina Selyukh, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025

The non-hydrogenated (NH) butter-margarine blend is used in bakery and food service applications as a cheaper alternative to butter, according to the Bunge website. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2025

Try Fortified Foods Cow's milk, breakfast cereals, and margarine were first fortified with vitamin D in the 1930s to reduce the risk of rickets (a bone disease that may occur due to a vitamin D deficiency).1 Vitamin D is most commonly added to dairy products like milk and yogurt. —Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 20 June 2025

Cinnamon Sauce 1 tablespoon margarine or butter 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup water 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon OR ½ teaspoon cinnamon PLUS ¼ teaspoon EACH ground cloves and nutmeg ¼ teaspoon salt Melt margarine or butter. —Kelly Brant, Arkansas Online, 13 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, ultimately from Greek margaron pearl, probably back-formation from margaritēs

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for margarine

• oleomargarine

Kids Definition

margarine

noun

mar·​ga·​rine ˈmärj-(ə-)rən 

ˈmärj-ə-ˌrēn

: a food product made from usually vegetable oils and skim milk and used as a spread and a cooking fat

Medical Definition

margarine

noun

mar·​ga·​rine ˈmärj-(ə-)rən, -ə-ˌrēn 

: a food product made usually from vegetable oils churned with ripened skim milk to a smooth emulsion, often fortified with vitamins A and D, and used as a substitute for butter