apéritif

/ɑːˌpɛɹɪˈtiːf//əˌpɛɹɪˈtiːf/

noun

An alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser.

Opposite
digestif
OriginFrench apéritif →
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Meanings

nounapéritif (plural apéritifs)

plural apéritifs · alternative aperitif

  1. An alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser.

    A waiter brought his aperitif, which was a small scotch and soda, and as he sipped it gratefully he sighed. ‘Civilized,’ he said to Mr. Campion. ‘Humanizing.’ […] ‘Cigars and summer days and women in big hats with swansdown face-powder, that's what it reminds me of.’

    1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
digestif
Also see
hors d'oeuvre

Origin

  1. Frenchapéritif
  2. Englishapéritif

Borrowed from French apéritif. Doublet of aperitive.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian аперити́в
  • аперити́в (aperitív)alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Catalan aperitiu
  • aperitiualcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Chinese Mandarin 開胃酒 /开胃酒
  • 開胃酒 /开胃酒 (kāiwèijiǔ)alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Czech aperitiv
  • aperitivalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Esperanto aperitivo
  • aperitivoalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Estonian aperitiiv
  • aperitiivalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Finnish aperitiivi
  • aperitiivialcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
French apéritif, apéro
  • apéritifalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
  • apéroalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
German Aperitif
  • Aperitifalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Greek απεριτίφ
  • απεριτίφ (aperitíf)alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Hungarian aperitif
  • aperitifalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Irish greadóg
  • greadógalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Italian aperitivo
  • aperitivoalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Japanese アペリティフ, 食前酒
  • アペリティフ (aperitifu)alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
  • 食前酒 (shokuzenshu)alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Korean 아페리티프, 반주
  • 아페리티프 (aperitipeu)alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
  • 반주 (banju)alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Polish aperitif
  • aperitifalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Portuguese aperitivo
  • aperitivoalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Romanian aperitiv
  • aperitivalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Russian аперити́в
  • аперити́в (aperitív)alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Slovak aperitív
  • aperitívalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Spanish aperitivo
  • aperitivoalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Swedish aperitif, aptitretare
  • aperitifalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
  • aptitretarealcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Tagalog pamutat-alak
  • pamutat-alakalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Turkish aperitif
  • aperitifalcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Ukrainian аперити́в
  • аперити́в (aperytýv)alcoholic drink served before a meal as an appetiser
Cite this entry
APA

apéritif. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ap%C3%A9ritif

MLA

“apéritif.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ap%C3%A9ritif. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apéritif,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ap%C3%A9ritif.

Source: apéritif on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.