Meaning & use
extra virgin
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Of olive oil: of the highest grade, pressed without heat or chemicals and with very low acidity.
Grammar: Used almost only before 'olive oil'; it is not usually used after a verb.
Patterns
- extra virgin olive oil
- a bottle of extra virgin olive oil
Use extra virgin olive oil for salads and dipping.
This extra virgin olive oil comes from a small farm in Italy.
The recipe calls for two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Common combinations
- extra virgin olive oil
- She drizzled extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes.
- a bottle of extra virgin olive oil
- He bought a bottle of extra virgin olive oil at the market.
- cold-pressed extra virgin
- The label says cold-pressed extra virgin.
Synonyms and how they differ
- virgin
- A lower grade of olive oil than extra virgin; it has slightly higher acidity and a less delicate flavor.
Opposites
Commonly confused: extra virgin or virgin?
extra virgin vs virgin
In olive oil, 'virgin' is a good grade but not the top one; 'extra virgin' is the highest grade.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'extra virgin' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Extra virgin' is an adjective used before 'olive oil', so 'extra virgin olive oil' is correct. It is not comparative, not a noun, and not a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “extra virgin”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.