back bench

American  

noun

1. any of the rows of seats occupied by the backbenchers.

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Etymology

Origin of back bench

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

He has gone from being a powerful chairman of two committees to an outsider who sits — literally every day Congress is in session — on the very back bench of the House chamber.

From Washington Post • Dec. 2, 2021

Chosen last year to lead nearly 100 progressives in the House, Ms. Jayapal has vaulted from the back bench to a position as a highly visible strategist and spokeswoman.

From New York Times • Oct. 8, 2021

It is the one chance ordinary, back bench MPs get to question the prime minister directly, to hold the government to account.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2015

Klein, 66, of Mesa, Arizona, wore a clerical collar and gripped a cane as he walked into court, where half a dozen witnesses sat on a back bench ready to testify in the long-planned trial.

From US News • Feb. 11, 2015

We found a place at a back bench, close together like you always had to sit on those benches.

From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth