ala

1 of 4

noun

ˈā-lə How to pronounce ala (audio)
plural alae ˈā-ˌlē How to pronounce ala (audio)
: a wing or a winglike anatomic part or process (see process entry 1 sense 4)
alar
ˈā-lər How to pronounce ala (audio)
adjective
alary
ˈā-lə-rē How to pronounce ala (audio)
adjective

Ala

2 of 4

abbreviation (1)

Alabama

ALA

3 of 4

abbreviation (2)

American Library Association

à la

4 of 4

preposition

ˌä-(ˌ)lä How to pronounce à la (audio)
ˌä-lə, 
ˌa-lə
variants or less commonly a la
: in the manner of
speaking with a passion à la Martin Luther King, Jr.

Examples of ala in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Preposition
The craft pasta house offers a four-course prix fixe featuring fresh pasta and seasonal produce, with a la carte dining at the bar and on the patio. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2026 Today, Microsoft rolled out those a la carte Cloud Playtime purchases to Xbox Insiders, with prices that might be a bit galling for players who have already purchased these streamable games. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 And that data could theoretically be used to manipulate the upcoming presidential election a la Facebook in 2020. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026 El domingo por la mañana, cuando desperté, estaba completamente libre de dolor y lista para ir a la iglesia. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ala

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin āla "armpit, upper arm, wing, axil" going back to *akslā, going back to Indo-European *h2eḱs-(i)l-eh2- (whence also Germanic *ahslō-, whence Old English eaxl "shoulder," Old Frisian axle, axele "shoulder, armpit," Old Saxon ahsla, Old High German ahsla, ahsala, Old Icelandic ǫxl "shoulder"), derivative with an -l- suffix from *h2eḱs- "pivot around which something rotates, axle" — more at axis

Preposition

French à la

First Known Use

Noun

1634, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

circa 1642, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ala was in 1634

Rhymes for ala

See All Rhymes for ala

Browse Nearby Words

à l'outrance
ala
Ala
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ala.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ala. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Medical Definition

ala

1 of 3 noun
ˈā-lə How to pronounce ala (audio)
plural alae -ˌlē How to pronounce ala (audio)
: a wing or a winglike anatomic process or part
especially : ala nasi

Ala

2 of 3 abbreviation
alanine; alanyl

ALA

3 of 3 abbreviation
1
alpha-linolenic acid
2
aminolevulinic acid

More from Merriam-Webster on ala

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ala

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