a la minute

US/ˌɑ.lə.miˈnut/

adjective

Prepared to order, not prepared in advance.

“You make these a la minute? Kudos.”

Opposite
sandbagged
OriginFrench à la minute →
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

adjectivea la minute (not comparable)

alternative à la minute

  1. not comparablecookingPrepared to order, not prepared in advance.

    Most of our sauces are a la minute.

    Antonyms: sandbagged

  2. not comparablecookingPrepared in the same pan as the item it accompanies when served.
adverba la minute (not comparable)

alternative à la minute

  1. not comparablecookingTo order, not in advance.

    You make these a la minute? Kudos.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivePrepared to order, not prepared in advance.

Opposite
sandbagged

Origin

  1. Frenchà la minute
  2. Englisha la minute

Borrowed from French à la minute.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

a la minute. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20la%20minute

MLA

“a la minute.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20la%20minute. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a la minute,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20la%20minute.

Source: a la minute on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.