margarine

noun

mar·​ga·​rine ˈmär-jə-rən How to pronounce margarine (audio)
-ˌrēn;
ˈmärj-rən
: a food product made usually from vegetable oils churned with ripened skim milk to a smooth emulsion and used like butter

Examples of margarine 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.
After another roll call came dinner (pork and beans, cornbread, potato salad, apricots, margarine, and coffee) and evening free time, when prisoners could read, play music, or (later) listen to radio. Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026 The neon lights began to move about briskly, like gleaming whirligig beetles, and the lights on the advertising tower closest to the stadium flickered across the Squirrel-brand margarine ad. Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 And in 2015, McDonald’s started using real butter instead of margarine on its muffins. Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Her aunt gave her a warm piece with margarine melting at the center. Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for margarine

Word History

Etymology

French, ultimately from Greek margaron pearl, probably back-formation from margaritēs

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of margarine was in 1873

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Margarine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/margarine. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

margarine

noun
mar·​ga·​rine ˈmärj-(ə-)rən How to pronounce margarine (audio)
ˈmärj-ə-ˌrēn
: a food product made from usually vegetable oils and skim milk and used as a spread and a cooking fat

Medical Definition

: a food product made usually from vegetable oils churned with ripened skim milk to a smooth emulsion, often fortified with vitamins A and D, and used as a substitute for butter

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