paprika

noun

pa·​pri·​ka pə-ˈprē-kə 

pa-

: a usually mild red seasoning consisting of the dried finely ground pods of various sweet peppers

also : a sweet pepper used for making paprika

Examples of paprika in a Sentence

tomato sauce made with garlic, paprika, and pepper

Recent Examples on the Web

Made with a crunchy corn base and flavored with cheddar cheese powder, garlic powder, and chili pepper, the snacks get their signature red-hot hue from a blend of paprika, vegetable juice, and turmeric. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026

Stir in the tomato sauce, coconut sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, paprika, red pepper and black pepper. —ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026

Garnish with paprika for a beautiful presentation. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026

Add the ras el hanout, cumin, coriander and paprika and stir for 15 to 30 seconds to lightly toast the spices. —Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Hungarian, from Serbian & Croatian, from papar ground pepper, ultimately from Latin piper — more at pepper

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for paprika

• arnica
• carica
• rebekah
• turcica
• chica

Kids Definition

paprika

noun

pa·​pri·​ka pə-ˈprē-kə 

pa-

: a mild red spice consisting of the dried finely ground fruit of various cultivated sweet peppers