al
1 Americannoun
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aluminum.
abbreviation
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Alabama (approved especially for use with zip code).
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variant of ad- before l: allure.
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a suffix with the general sense “of the kind of, pertaining to, having the form or character of” that named by the stem, occurring in loanwords from Latin (autumnal; natural; pastoral ), and productive in English on the Latin model, usually with bases of Latin origin (accidental; seasonal; tribal ). Originally, -al1 was restricted to stems not containing an -l- (-ar ); recent lapses in this rule have produced semantically distinct pairs, as familiar and familial.
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a suffix forming nouns from verbs, usually verbs of French or Latin origin.
denial; refusal.
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Chemistry. a suffix indicating that a compound contains an aldehyde group.
chloral.
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a word in Arabic names meaning “family” or “the house of ”.
Al-Saud, or the members of the house of Saud.
abbreviation
-
other things.
abbreviation
-
other persons.
abbreviation
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Anglo-Latin.
abbreviation
-
autograph letter.
abbreviation
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Baseball. American League.
-
American Legion.
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Anglo-Latin.
abbreviation
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Alabama
-
Anglo-Latin
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(in the US and Canada) American League (of baseball teams)
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Albania (international car registration)
suffix
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indicating an aldehyde
ethanal
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indicating a pharmaceutical product
phenobarbital
suffix
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of; related to; connected with
functional
sectional
tonal
suffix
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the act or process of doing what is indicated by the verb stem
rebuttal
recital
renewal
symbol
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aluminium
abbreviation
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Albania
Etymology
Origin of al1
From the Hindi word āl
Origin of -al6
< Latin ālis, -āle; often replacing Middle English -el < Old French
Origin of -al7
< Latin -āle (singular), -ālia (plural), nominalized neuter of -ālis -al 1; often replacing Middle English -aille < Old French < Latin -ālia
Origin of -al8
Presumed to be short for aldehyde
Origin of Al-9
From the Arabic word āl family
Origin of al.10
From the Latin word alia
Origin of al.11
From the Latin word aliī
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The dry-aged grilled branzino was flaky and beautifully cooked, but the standout was the chicken al pastor, served with a fresh pineapple salad and pineapple butter—bright, savory, and just a little indulgent.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
The Red Sea has its own choke point, the Bab al Mandab strait, as important for world trade as the Strait of Hormuz.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
“The return of chicken al pastor was the primary traffic driver, followed by successful promotions and digital growth,” the Mizuho analysts wrote.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026
They have refused to play some nights, on one occasion putting on a free al fresco show a few winding streets away instead.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
“Cuando la luna llena,” a voice crooned, “mata al anciano sol.”
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
