culinary

culinary — adjective

1. relating to the preparation, cooking, and serving of food — for example, culinar

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to the preparation, cooking, and serving of food — for example, culinary techniques used in a restaurant kitchen or the culinary traditions of a particular region.

Example

The culinary school in Lyon trains some of the best chefs in Europe.

attributive use: culinary + school

Maria enrolled in a culinary program to learn professional cooking techniques.

attributive use: culinary + program

Common collocations
  • culinary skills
  • culinary arts
  • culinary tradition
  • culinary experience
  • culinary school
  • culinary team
  • culinary program
  • culinary techniques
  • culinary practices
  • culinary masterpiece
Synonyms
  • gastronomic

    more formal and associated with fine dining or food culture; 'culinary' is broader and includes everyday cooking.

  • cooking

    a simpler, everyday adjective; 'cooking' is less formal and less precise (e.g. 'cooking skills' vs 'culinary skills').

Antonyms
  • non-culinary

    a rare, technical opposite meaning 'not related to cooking'.

Grammar Patterns

culinary + noun

Usage Note

Used only before a noun (attributive position). Cannot follow linking verbs such as 'is' or 'seems' — you cannot say 'This dish is culinary.'

Common Mistakes

This soup is very culinary.
This is a culinary masterpiece.
'culinary' is an attributive adjective; it must come directly before a noun and cannot be used after a linking verb.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words relate to food preparation, but they differ in register and scope. 'Cooking' is the most general and informal — you would say 'cooking class' or 'cooking tips' in everyday conversation. 'Culinary' is more formal and often appears in academic or professional contexts: 'culinary school', 'culinary arts', or 'culinary techniques'. 'Gastronomic' is the most elevated term, typically associated with the culture of fine dining and elaborate food experiences, such as 'gastronomic tour' or 'gastronomic festival'. 'Culinary' sits between the two — formal enough for a textbook but common enough for a food magazine. For example, you might take a 'cooking class' at a community centre, attend a 'culinary program' at a college, and go on a 'gastronomic tour' of Italy.

culinary ↗gastronomiccooking ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • culinary skills
  • culinary arts
  • culinary tradition
  • culinary experience
  • culinary school
  • culinary team
  • culinary program
  • culinary techniques

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Culinary' comes from the Latin word 'culina', meaning 'kitchen' or 'cooking stove'. It entered English through French in the 17th century, originally used in formal writing about cooking and food preparation.