polenta

noun

po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə 

pə-, 

-ˌtä

: mush made of chestnut meal, cornmeal, semolina, or farina

Examples of polenta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjust the texture of your polenta to your liking. —Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026

Tender beef slow-cooks in a tangy-sweet balsamic sauce that's even better when spooned over polenta or mashed potatoes. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026

Abra Berens suggests heaping it over potatoes (or even pasta, polenta, or couscous) and topping it with a poached or boiled egg. —Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 8 Jan. 2026

Those experiences include tableside pours of warm polenta, paired with meatballs, sweet Italian sausage, spinach and rapini. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin, crushed and hulled barley; akin to Latin pollen fine flour

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for polenta

• magenta
• momenta
• placenta
• placentae
• impedimenta
• presidente

Kids Definition

polenta

noun

po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə 

: mush made of chestnut meal, cornmeal, or grain

Biographical Definition

Polenta

biographical name

Po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə 

Francesca da died 1283(or 1284) Francesca da Rimini ˌfran-ˈche-skə-dä-ˈri-mə-(ˌ)nē 

ˌfrän-, 

-ˈrē-

Italian noblewoman famous for tragic adulterous love affair