chiefly dialectal
used for emphasis or expressing surprise

la

2 of 5

noun

: the sixth note of the major scale in solfège

La

3 of 5

abbreviation (1)

Louisiana

La

4 of 5

symbol

lanthanum

LA

5 of 5

abbreviation (2)

1
law agent
2
legislative assistant
3
Los Angeles
4
Louisiana

Examples of la in a Sentence

Noun do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti
Recent Examples on the Web
Interjection
There’s a worldwide web, there’s clickbait, there’s la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'la.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Interjection

Middle English (northern dialect), from Old English

Noun

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from the syllable sung to this note in a medieval hymn to St. John the Baptist

First Known Use

Interjection

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of la was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near la

Cite this Entry

“La.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/la. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

la

noun
ˈlä
: the sixth note of the musical scale

Medical Definition

La

1 of 2 symbol
lanthanum

LA

2 of 2 abbreviation
long-acting

More from Merriam-Webster on la

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