a la carte

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If a specific low-value item is what you actually want, experts suggest ordering it a la carte and reserving your “endless” capacity for the more expensive stuff.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

In these fast-moving, unpredictable times, Europe's leaders are increasingly turning to a la carte coalitions, alongside traditional organisations like Nato or the EU, which are larger and therefore often slower to react.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

The San Francisco company now offers a la carte shopping—a departure from its traditional, stylist-curated subscription-box service—and gives customers more options on the number of items that are in a box, as examples.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

Customers purchase what they need a la carte — a combination of jacket hoses, nozzles, valves and adapters that, when assembled, vastly increases the water flow rate from a homeowner’s outdoor faucet.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2025

First of all, the child may be merely hungry, in which case you should at once ask the porter to bring you the a la carte menu.

From Perfect Behavior; a guide for ladies and gentlemen in all social crises by Stewart, Donald Ogden