barista

American  

[buh-ris-tuh, -ree-stuh, bah-rees-tah] / bəˈrɪs tə, -ˈri stə, bɑ ris tɑ /

noun

• baristas,
  plural
• baristi
  plural

1. a person who is specially trained in the making and serving of coffee drinks, as in a coffee bar.

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barista British  

/ bəˈrɪstə /

noun

1. a person who makes and serves coffee in a coffee bar

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• baristas
  plural
• baristi
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of barista

First recorded in 1980–85; from Italian: “bartender,” from bar bar ¹ ( def. ) (a loanword from English) + Italian -ista -ist ( def. )

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Explanation

A barista is a café employee who specializes in coffee drinks, especially espresso. The person who makes your half-caf vanilla caramel latte is a barista. In Italy, a barista is a "bartender serving coffee drinks, alcoholic drinks, and snacks." The word was adopted by English-speakers around 1992, at the start of the craze for espresso bars and cafés outside of Italy. If a restaurant only serves drip coffee, the person making it isn't called a barista. An espresso machine, on the other hand, requires a barista. If your specialty coffee drink is always delicious and served with a smile, be sure to tip your barista!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

barista baristas

And if the barista wants to add an artistic element, then they have successfully elevated my cappuccino experience.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Should a barista want the coffee to stay hotter for longer - if a customer requests extra hot - it can be served at over 82 degrees C, says MTPak Coffee.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

I like going to the coffee shop where the barista remembers that I take my mint tea iced and unsweetened, and I remember that she has a puppet showcase coming up.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

“This is not just a simple adjustment of wording,” Berg Wu, who won the barista championship in 2016, wrote on Facebook.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

The barista brought them their food, and they sipped on their ponche and ate sandwiches as they talked.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Everybody’s in their sweats and pajamas, we hang out with some of our local baristas, and have a good time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Yet tucked behind a cafe where baristas make $11 lattes, young workers write code, design machinery and operate an industrial laser that can cut through a car door.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The friendly baristas at the coffee shop—talented at pulling a cortado—smiled when I brought his name up in conversation.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

The baristas, who sell elaborate fruit and cake-themed concoctions, are supposed to connect with customers as "brand ambassadors".

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

Secretly, I’ve always wished for a name that teachers and baristas would be able to spell right on the first try.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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