1
a
: the regular meal available to a guest for whom no special preparations have been made
b
: a communal meal to which people bring food to share
—usually used attributively
a potluck supper
2
: whatever is offered or available in given circumstances or at a given time
Examples of potluck in a Sentence
He organized a neighborhood potluck for next Saturday.
Recent Examples on the Web
The argument here is that if too many people feel comfortable showing up empty-handed, the potluck won’t be much of a meal at all.
—
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
On Friday nights, the group met in a member’s apartment for Shabbat services and a potluck dinner.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
The trend is often on display at the potluck dinners that have become a weekly cost-saving tradition for Jillian Minahan, a senior at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
True to potluck form, the rest was a thrilling hodgepodge.
—Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for potluck
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Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
On Friday nights, the group met in a member’s apartment for Shabbat services and a potluck dinner.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
The trend is often on display at the potluck dinners that have become a weekly cost-saving tradition for Jillian Minahan, a senior at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
True to potluck form, the rest was a thrilling hodgepodge.
—Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for potluck
Cite this Entry
“Potluck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potluck. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
potluck
noun
pot·luck
ˈpät-ˈlək 
1
a
: a regular meal for which no special preparations have been made
b
: a meal to which people bring food to share
2
: whatever is offered or available in given circumstances or at a given time
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