What does entrez mean?
Entrez is a French interjection meaning "come in" or "enter," formed from the second-person plural imperative of the French verb entrer, "to enter." Borrowed into English, it retains its unmistakably Gallic character and appears mainly in literature, drama, and humorous or stylized writing, where it signals a grand, formal, or mock-formal welcome — as when a host flings open a door and declares "Entrez!" It also survives in theatrical contexts as a stage direction announcing a character's entrance. Because it is a foreign expression, entrez is best reserved for registers where a touch of elegance, irony, or theatricality is intended; in everyday speech, plain "come in" is the natural choice. The word shares its origin with familiar English terms such as entry, entrance, and entrée, all ultimately descended from the Latin intrare, "to go into." For readers and writers alike, entrez is a small word that opens doors — literally and stylistically.
Used to invite someone to come into a room; French for "come in" or "enter."
""Entrez!" she announced, sweeping the door wide with theatrical flourish."
Borrowed from French; typically used playfully or to evoke elegance, and italicized in much English prose.
As a stage direction, instructs that a specified character enters the scene.
"The script reads simply: Entrez Madame de Volanges."
Found mainly in printed playscripts and translations of French drama.
Every time you say "entrance," you're echoing the very verb behind the grandest door-opening word in French: entrez.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of entrez
Entrez comes directly from French, where it is the second-person plural (or polite singular) imperative of entrer, "to enter." The French verb descends from Latin intrare, "to go or enter into," itself derived from intra, "within." English has absorbed several siblings of this root, including entry, entrance, entrée, and the verb enter, which arrived via Old French entrer in the Middle English period. As a standalone exclamation in English, entrez is a relatively recent and deliberately French-flavored borrowing, kept in its original spelling to preserve its continental air.
How entrez is actually used
Entrez is a borrowing from French and carries a distinctly foreign, often playful or affected flavor in English. It is most at home in fiction, theater, and humorous writing; using it in ordinary conversation can sound theatrical or pretentious unless done knowingly for effect.
Easily confused with entrez
An entrée is the main course of a meal (or, in older British usage, a dish served before the main course), while entrez is an interjection meaning "come in" — the two share a root but differ entirely in meaning and part of speech.
Entry is an English noun meaning an act of entering or an item recorded in a list, whereas entrez is a French imperative verb form used as an exclamation.