ready-to-eat

ready-to-eat — adjective

1. describes food that has already been cooked or prepared, so you can eat it strai

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes food that has already been cooked or prepared, so you can eat it straight away without any cooking, washing, or extra work.

Example

Andrew picked up a ready-to-eat chicken salad from the supermarket deli counter.

attributive use before a noun

The ready-to-eat meals in the fridge are perfect for nights when Sora works late.

common collocation: ready-to-eat meals

Common collocations
  • ready-to-eat meals
  • ready-to-eat foods
  • ready-to-eat products
  • ready-to-eat snacks
  • ready-to-eat salads
  • ready-to-eat dishes
  • ready-to-eat section (in a store)
Synonyms
  • pre-cooked

    more specific — the food has actually been cooked, whereas 'ready-to-eat' includes no-cook items like salads

  • instant

    usually implies adding hot water (e.g. instant noodles); narrower in scope

  • pre-prepared

    more formal; used in catering and institutional contexts

Antonyms
  • raw

    requires cooking before eating

  • homemade

    made from scratch at home, not pre-prepared

Grammar Patterns

ready-to-eat + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used directly before the noun it describes (attributive position), as in 'ready-to-eat meals' or 'ready-to-eat products'. It is less common in predicative position ('the meal is ready-to-eat'), though not incorrect.

Common Mistakes

I bought a ready to eat meal from the shop.
I bought a ready-to-eat meal from the shop.
The hyphens are required when the compound adjective comes before the noun.

Word family

  • ready
    adjectiveA1
  • eat
    verbA1
  • ready-to-cook
    adjectiveB1
  • ready-to-drink
    adjectiveB1
  • ready-made
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe food that requires little or no work from the eater, but they differ in scope and context. Ready-to-eat is the broadest — it covers anything sold in a state that can be eaten immediately, from a pre-washed salad to a full microwave dinner. Pre-cooked narrows this to items that have been cooked before sale, such as pre-cooked bacon or grilled chicken strips; uncooked ready-to-eat items (like raw baby carrots or washed lettuce) are not pre-cooked. Instant is narrower still: it refers to products that need hot water or brief rehydration, such as instant noodles or instant coffee, and is almost never used for chilled or fresh items. Pre-prepared is a more formal, general term common in catering and food-service settings: 'The kitchen uses pre-prepared sauces to save time.' A supermarket might label a pasta salad as ready-to-eat, a bag of frozen grilled chicken as pre-cooked, a packet of noodle cups as instant, and a chef might order pre-prepared vegetables from a supplier.

ready-to-eat ↗pre-cookedinstant ↗pre-prepared

Common collocations

Nouns

  • meals
  • foods
  • products
  • snacks
  • salads
  • dishes
  • soups
  • dinners
  • section
  • options

Phrases

  • ready-to-eat meal
  • ready-to-eat food
  • ready-to-eat product
  • ready-to-eat section

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Combines the adjective 'ready' (from Old English 'ræde', meaning prepared) with the infinitive 'to eat' (from Old English 'etan'). The hyphenated compound 'ready-to-eat' became common in the mid‑20th century alongside the rise of processed and convenience foods, appearing on packaging and in grocery advertising to signal that no cooking was required.