menu
noun
ˈmen-(ˌ)yü 
ˈmān-
plural menus
1
a
: a list of the dishes that may be ordered (as in a restaurant) or that are to be served (as at a banquet)
b(1)
: a comparable list or assortment of offerings
a menu of television programs
(2)
: a list shown on the display of a computer from which a user can select the operation the computer is to perform
2
: the dishes available for or served at a meal
also
: the meal itself
Examples of menu in a Sentence
I'd like to see your lunch menu, please.
What's good on the menu today?
There are two chicken dishes under eight dollars listed on the menu.
a menu of television programs
You can save your work by choosing “Save” from the “File” menu.
Recent Examples on the Web
This dip is extra creamy and filled with corn for a must-add to your game day menu.
—
Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
The trend made a splash on the subreddit r/FoodLosAngeles as users dug into Gwen's water menu.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Local musicians entertain guests every evening, while a menu of international classics—prepared with local ingredients, many of which come from the on-site garden—will satisfy any palate.
—Kate Van Dyke, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
The Tall as a Tree and Twice as Shady was created at Chicago’s famed tiki spot Three Dots and a Dash by bartender Paul McGee as party of this bar’s opening menu.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for menu
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
The trend made a splash on the subreddit r/FoodLosAngeles as users dug into Gwen's water menu.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Local musicians entertain guests every evening, while a menu of international classics—prepared with local ingredients, many of which come from the on-site garden—will satisfy any palate.
—Kate Van Dyke, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
The Tall as a Tree and Twice as Shady was created at Chicago’s famed tiki spot Three Dots and a Dash by bartender Paul McGee as party of this bar’s opening menu.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for menu
Cite this Entry
“Menu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menu. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
menu
noun
ˈmen-yü
ˈmān-
1
: a list of dishes served at or available for a meal
also
: a similar list of offerings
a menu of TV programs
2
: the dishes served at a meal
3
: a list of computer operations shown on the display screen for a user to select from
a menu of printing options
Etymology
from French menu "a list of food dishes," from menu (adjective) "small, detailed," from Latin minutus "small" — related to minute
Word Origin
Many restaurants boast of having large menus, but the origin of the word menu actually suggests the idea of smallness. The origins of menu can be traced to the Latin adjective minutus, meaning "small." Minutus is also the source of our word minute. From minutus came the French adjective menu, which has several meanings including "small" and "detailed." The use of menu as a noun meaning "a list of food" probably came from the "detailed" sense of the adjective, since a menu is most often a detailed list.
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