pizza

noun

piz·​za ˈpēt-sə How to pronounce pizza (audio)
: a dish made typically of flattened bread dough spread with a savory mixture usually including tomatoes and cheese and often other toppings and baked

called also pizza pie

pizzalike
ˈpēt-sə-ˌlīk How to pronounce pizza (audio)
adjective

Examples of pizza in a Sentence

We ordered a pizza for supper. I ordered pizza for supper. a slice of pepperoni pizza
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.
Fans will be served drinks, pizza, soft pretzels and popcorn beforehand. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026 Not too much bugs him, but he sometimes is annoyed by his baby sister and doesn’t trust people who put pineapple on their pizza. — Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026 The longtime Morton pub, known for its wings and inside-out pizzas, its family atmosphere and generations of regulars, served its final customers Sunday after nearly five decades in business. — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 Dersch’s exhibit featured a fully functioning Xerox Alto workstation with its boxy vertical monitor, chunky keyboard and mouse, as well as pizza-sized spinning disks that store tiny amounts of data by modern standards. — Terry Chea, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pizza

Word History

Etymology

Italian, perhaps of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German bizzo, pizzo bite, bit, bīzan to bite — more at bite

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pizza was in 1825

Phrases Containing pizza

Browse Nearby Words

pizz
pizza
pizzaiola
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pizza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pizza. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

pizza

noun
piz·​za ˈpēt-sə How to pronounce pizza (audio)
: a dish made typically of thinly rolled bread dough spread with a spiced mixture usually including tomatoes and cheese and often other toppings and baked

called also pizza pie

Etymology

from Italian pizza "pizza"

More from Merriam-Webster on pizza

Nglish: Translation of pizza for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pizza

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All