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• sedan
  sedan

  noun

  an enclosed automobile body having two or four doors and seating four or more persons on two full-width seats.
• Sedan
  Sedan

  noun

  a city in NE France, on the Meuse River: defeat and capture of Napoleon III 1870.

sedan

¹ American  

[si-dan] / sɪˈdæn /

noun

sedans plural

1. an enclosed automobile body having two or four doors and seating four or more persons on two full-width seats.

2. sedan chair.

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Sedan ² American  

[si-dan, suh-dahn] / sɪˈdæn, səˈdɑ̃ /

noun

1. a city in NE France, on the Meuse River: defeat and capture of Napoleon III 1870.

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sedan ¹ British  

/ sɪˈdæn /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): saloon.  a closed two-door or four-door car with four to six seats

2. short for sedan chair

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Sedan ² British  

/ sədɑ̃, sɪˈdæn /

noun

1. a town in NE France, on the River Meuse: passed to France in 1642; a Protestant stronghold (16th–17th centuries); scene of a French defeat (1870) during the Franco-Prussian War and of a battle (1940) in World War II, which began the German invasion of France. Pop: 20 548 (1999)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sedans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sedan

First recorded in 1625–35; of obscure origin

Explanation

A sedan is a car that seats at least four people. You might dream of getting a sports car when you're 16, but it's more likely that your parents will loan you the keys to their sedan. In the 17th century, a sedan was "a covered chair on poles," a fancy way for one person to ride, carried by at least four people. Today's sedan seats four, and it's powered by gasoline or electricity. Since about 1912, the word sedan has been used most often for talking about an automobile. The word is rooted in the Latin sedere, "sit."

Example Sentences

Its lineup now consists of the Model Y SUV, the Model 3 Sedan and the Cybertruck pickup.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

A community of about 900 people, Sedan has banned residents from using tap water for plants or lawns, forcing some to get creative.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2023

If they could bear him back to the team bus on a Sedan chair, they just might have.

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2023

The vehicle appears to be a Kia Sedan with unknown tags.

From Washington Post • Oct. 6, 2022

First Division reached the hills overlooking Sedan, then moved aside to allow the French Army the honor of capturing the city, the site of a French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• auto
• automobile
• bus
• convertible
• jeep
• limousine
• machine
• motor
• pickup
• ride
• station wagon
• truck
• van
• wagon