served for dinner

USAGE SUMMARY

"served for dinner" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to say that a specific item was prepared and served at a meal, usually dinner. For example, "The salmon was served for dinner last night."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Food & Dining

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

What he served for dinner was not memorable… Craig and I never became friends.

The New Yorker

I recently asked my mother what her mother served for dinner when she was a child.

The New York Times - Magazine

Caught by Bart, it was served for dinner by Marge to Mr Burns, who had defended it while running for mayor.

Independent

To conclude his day, lima beans are served for dinner, which he hates; his bath is too hot; and he has to wear his railroad-train pajamas.

Yale University

In the midst of this remote corner of Africa, European haute cuisine was being served for dinner, some ingredients flown in from France.

The New York Times - Travel

Mimi Oka and Doug Fitch will present pasta dinners as artworks, which will later be served for dinner at 8 p.m. in a private loft.

The New York Times - Style

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

What are they serving for dinner?

The New York Times - Travel

I have a friend who has a house dish, which she always serves for dinner parties.

The New York Times - Food

Then pop it in the oven to serve for dinner or brunch.

The New York Times - Food

The nanny had fed the children a casserole that the mother had intended to serve for dinner.

The New York Times

At this point, there are probably no new fishing grounds to be discovered, or, to use Rachel Carson's phrase, any "underexploited fishes" to start serving for dinner.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a specific event or meal, use "served for dinner" to clearly communicate what was offered as the main evening meal. For example, "The roast chicken was served for dinner at the family gathering."

Common error

Avoid using "served for dinner" when you intend to describe someone's action of serving. Instead of saying "He served for dinner", which doesn't make sense, specify what he served: "He served pasta for dinner."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "served for dinner" functions as a verb phrase acting as the predicate of a sentence. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in various sentence structures to indicate what was provided or offered as the main meal of the evening. The phrase connects a subject (often a dish) with the action of being provided as dinner.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Academia

20%

Food & Dining

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Science

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "served for dinner" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to describe what was provided as the main evening meal. Ludwig AI confirms its appropriate usage across various contexts, particularly in News & Media, Academia, and Food & Dining. While the phrase maintains a neutral register suitable for diverse audiences, it is crucial to distinguish the act of serving something for dinner from more descriptive phrases. Avoiding ambiguity ensures clarity in your writing, whether detailing culinary experiences, recipes, or event menus. Recognizing its usage patterns and related alternatives enhances effective communication, ensuring your audience understands the meal being discussed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

provided for dinner

Replaces "served" with "provided", emphasizing the act of supplying the meal.

prepared for dinner

Focuses on the preparation aspect of the meal.

had for dinner

Shifts the perspective to the recipients of the meal, what they consumed.

on the dinner menu

Indicates that the item was part of the planned offerings for dinner.

dinner consisted of

Describes the composition of the dinner meal.

featured for dinner

Highlights a particular dish as a special offering.

was the dinner offering

Emphasizes that something was the main thing offered as dinner.

made for dinner

Highlights the act of making the dinner meal.

eaten at dinner

Focuses on the act of eating at dinner.

enjoyed at dinner

Emphasizes the enjoyment of eating the meal.

FAQs

How can I use "served for dinner" in a sentence?

Use "served for dinner" to describe what food or dish was provided as the evening meal. For example, "Lobster was served for dinner at the gala."

What's a more formal way to say "served for dinner"?

While "served for dinner" is already fairly neutral, you could use phrases like "featured on the dinner menu" or "provided for the evening meal" in more formal contexts.

What can I say instead of "served for dinner" to emphasize preparation?

To emphasize the preparation of a meal, you could say "prepared for dinner" or "made for dinner". For instance, "The chef prepared a special tasting menu for dinner."

Is "served for dinner" the same as "had for dinner"?

Not exactly. "Served for dinner" focuses on what was offered, while "had for dinner" focuses on what someone consumed. For example, "Salmon was served for dinner" versus "I had salmon for dinner".