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• bench
  bench

  noun

  a long seat for several people.
• Bench
  Bench

  noun

  Johnny, born 1947, U.S. baseball player.

bench

¹ American  

[bench] / bɛntʃ /

noun

• benches
  plural

1. a long seat for several people.

   a bench in the park.

2. a seat occupied by an official, especially a judge.

3. such a seat as a symbol of the office and dignity of an individual judge or the judiciary.

4. the office or dignity of various other officials, or the officials themselves.

5. 1. the seat on which the players of a team sit during a game while not playing.

   2. the quality and number of the players of a team who are usually used as substitutes.

      A weak bench hurt their chances for the championship.

   3. the quality and number of professionals or experts in reserve, to be called upon as needed.

      The country has a deep bench of scientists.

6. Informal. bench press.

7. Also called workbench.  the strong worktable of a carpenter or other mechanic.

8. a platform on which animals are placed for exhibition, especially at a dog show.

9. a contest or exhibition of dogs; dog show.

10. Physical Geography. a shelflike area of rock with steep slopes above and below.

11. Mining. a step or working elevation in a mine.

12. berm.

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verb (used with object)

• benches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• benched,
  past participle,  past
• benching
  present participle

1. to furnish with benches.

2. to seat on a bench or on the bench.

   an election that benched him in the district court.

3. to place (a show dog or other animal) in exhibition.

4. to cut away the working faces of (a mine or quarry) in benches.

5. Sports. to remove from a game or keep from participating in a game.

   to be benched because of poor hitting.

idioms

1. on the bench,

   1. serving as a judge in a court of law; presiding.

   2. Sports. (of a player) not participating in play, either for part or all of a game.

Bench ² American  

[bench] / bɛntʃ /

noun

1. Johnny, born 1947, U.S. baseball player.

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bench British  

/ bɛntʃ /

noun

1. a long seat for more than one person, usually lacking a back or arms

2. a plain stout worktable

3. (sometimes capital)

   1. a judge or magistrate sitting in court in a judicial capacity

   2. judges or magistrates collectively

4. sport the seat on which reserve players and officials sit during a game

5. geology a flat narrow platform of land, esp one marking a former shoreline

6. a ledge in a mine or quarry from which work is carried out

7. (in a gymnasium) a low table, which may be inclined, used for various exercises

8. a platform on which dogs or other domestic animals are exhibited at shows

9. a hollow on a hillside formed by sheep

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verb

1. to provide with benches

2. to exhibit (a dog, etc) at a show

3. to form (a track) up a hill by excavating a flattened area

4. sport to take or keep (a player) out of a game, often for disciplinary reasons

bench More Idioms  

1. see on the bench; warm the bench.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unbench
  verb (used with object)
• benchless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• benches
  plural

Participles

• benching
  present
• benched
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bench
  simple
• benches
  simple
• have benched
  perfect
• has benched
  perfect
• am benching
  progressive
• are benching
  progressive
• is benching
  progressive
• have been benching
  perfect progressive
• has been benching
  perfect progressive

Past

• benched
  simple
• had benched
  perfect
• was benching
  progressive
• were benching
  progressive
• had been benching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bench
  simple
• will have benched
  perfect
• will be benching
  progressive
• will have been benching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bench

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English benc; cognate with Old Frisian benk, Old Saxon, Dutch, Old High German bank, Old Norse bekkr, from unattested Germanic bank-iz; see bank ¹

Explanation

A bench is a long, flat seat that can usually accommodate several people. A city park bench is a nice place to sit and eat a sandwich. A picnic table often has benches, and a bench is where baseball players wait for their turn to take a swing at the ball. You might have a work bench in your garage for gluing model planes together. A judge's symbolic office is known as "the bench," and to bench an athlete is to make her take a break from the court or field — if she has to do this often, she'll be known as a "bench warmer."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bench Bench benches benched benching

Always perform low-impact exercises near something you can hold for support, such as a park bench or bathroom vanity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

Cameron Brink finished with seven points and five rebounds off the bench.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

The justices either were long-serving members of the federal bench or are put on the federal bench prior to being elevated to the court to give them that experience.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

The goalkeeper made 725 appearances across 25 years at Real, winning three Champions League titles and five La Liga crowns, but had spent much of the 2012-13 season on the bench.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

One boy near the back bench kept stabbing a finger at his phone three times, waiting, stabbing three times again, waiting.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

"He experiences sleep-wake cycles but exhibits no meaningful interaction and has been dependent on others for all activities of self-care," the judges said, according to legal news website Bar and Bench.

From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026

Appeared in the January 8, 2026, print edition as 'Judge Dugan Leaves the Bench'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 7, 2026

This piece was originally published in the Behind the Bench newsletter on state constitutional law.

From Slate ● Dec. 29, 2025

“Vending Bench reflects one of the things we were hoping to really shift with this model and push on, which is improved tool use and improved planning,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025

“Gad, sir! Gad, sir!” spluttered the Skookum Bench king.

From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London

Before the war, Iryna Terekh’s small business made outdoor furniture and ornaments such as benches, flower pots and wash basins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Tail Town’s main room is filled with stacked cat beds, an exercise wheel, two huge rectangular storage benches sprinkled with doughnut-shaped beds, and cat-themed art on the walls.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

From the moment Kinahan entered the dock, until he was led out 13 minutes later, almost everyone was looking towards him - and the proceedings were accompanied by constant typing from the press benches.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Witkoff sat in a row of hard wooden benches often occupied by people aiming to make public displays of support for Trump—J.D.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

Good guys didn’t make other people cry on public benches.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty

There is uncertainty over how De Zerbi will line up, and Senesi is at risk of being benched given Tottenham's depth at centre-back.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

At one after-school soccer game during Pratt’s senior year, Crossroads’ soccer coach benched him.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

But after signing with New York last offseason, he played so poorly that he was openly criticized by owner Woody Johnson before being benched.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026

That earned him a lucrative extension but two months later he was concussed again, and after some underwhelming form in 2025 he was benched for the final three games of last season.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

Dave was All-State since freshman year, 195 lb. weight class, and he benched 385.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

“But in today’s landscape, benching your stars isn’t realistic. Wins are too valuable, and money — whether we admit it or not — drives everything.”

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 30, 2026

After the benching, Hayes said he had something to prove this season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 3, 2026

His showing was so impressive that LaFleur felt compelled to squash any chatter about benching Love, the quarterback the team signed to a $220 million contract, in favor of Willis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026

Bayern Munich cruised to a 3-0 home win over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday despite benching Harry Kane and several others ahead of Tuesday's trip to European champions Paris Saint-Germain.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2025

Cool it is, and of a pulverous smell, as a sacred place should be; a blessed benching goes round the wall, and you sit down and take unlimited comfort in the frescos.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 20, No. 117, July, 1867. by Various

Related Words

• board
• counter
• desk
• shelf