sofa
Americannoun
-
sofas
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sofa
1615–25; < Turkish < Arabic ṣuffah platform used as a seat
Explanation
A sofa is a piece of furniture that a few people can comfortably sit on together. On a rainy weekend, you and your friends might pile on the sofa to watch scary movies and eat popcorn. A sofa is similar to a couch — officially, it needs to seat at least three or more people to qualify as a sofa. If only two people can fit, it's a love seat. And if it's only big enough for you and your pet hedgehog, it's an armchair. Sofas are typically upholstered, with a high back and arms. The word originated from Turkish, from an Arabic root, suffa, "bench of stone or wood."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The new gadget can detect, for example, if keys fall behind a sofa.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The home also has a long list of built-ins designed by Neutra, including a sofa system, dining table, and breakfast nook.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Everything was brown,” Weger says as she sits on a plush sofa covered in pink and chartreuse striped Christian Lacroix fabric.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Not only would theaters and pay-TV distributors be harmed, but so would “audiences on every sofa and movie theater in the U.S.,”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
This last announcement feels pointed directly at me so I slide off the sofa and open my assigned locker.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Although the company never spells it out explicitly, Birkin collectors say that shoppers who buy $100,000 sofas and $20,000 watches get offered the bags first.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
England's victory was watched by millions of fans, who powered through the 02:00 BST kick-off gathering on their sofas and in packed pubs.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
"Wall cabinets, sofas, coffee tables, dining tables, and chairs vanished in an instant. It was as if the entire building had been hollowed out," Wang told the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
As she pedaled along her regular route Wednesday, Phillips found several more sofas, among other things.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2026
Olanna sat on one of the two sofas in the bright and bare living room with flung-open windows.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
