barista

American  

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

noun

plural

baristas, baristi

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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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. )

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

“We are in conversation with the company about the road back to the bargaining table,” barista Jasmine Leli, one of the union’s bargaining delegates, said in a Friday statement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

There have been doctor, pilot, tennis player, firefighter, lifeguard, barista and even Olympic skier Kens, among many others.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

But Pouncy, the Las Vegas barista, told me that Starbucks isn’t really listening to the people that matter: The customers and the workers.

From Slate • Dec. 22, 2025

"I gave up my job as a barista because of my son's mental health problems, and this is something that just happened… I was already doing chalkboards and portraits."

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025

Toward the end of high school, I landed a barista gig at a popular local cafe, and Kia came to work with me almost daily.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi