meal
/miːl/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A meal is food that you eat at a regular time, such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It can also mean one occasion of eating together.
- We had a quick meal before work.
- Dinner is our main meal of the day.
- They shared a meal with friends.
Adinary Nuance
Meal is more specific than food or eating. Use meal when you mean one sitting of breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a shared eating occasion. Food is the general thing you eat, while meal is the event or serving. In formal writing, meal sounds neutral and natural.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bữa ăn
- Spanish
- comida
- Chinese
- 一餐
- Japanese
- 食事
- Korean
- 식사
Etymology
Meal comes from Old English 'mǣl', meaning a fixed time or portion. Over time, it came to mean food eaten at a set time.
Common phrases
a full meala light mealprepared mealmeal time
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is meal the same as food?
- No. Food is the general thing you eat. A meal is one time of eating, like breakfast or dinner.
- Is meal a formal word?
- No. It is neutral and common in everyday English and writing.
- What is the difference between meal and feast?
- A meal is any regular eating occasion. A feast is usually a large, special, or celebratory meal.
- Can I say 'have a meal'?
- Yes. It is a very common and natural phrase.