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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

“We’ve never been so this is maybe our last chance,” Tom Beattie said, sitting on a bench with their border terrier Annie as his wife called her sister from the pay phone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Judge William Harbage KC said there was "no medical evidence" to properly explain Jogesh's absence and said a bench warrant would be issued.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

It would be strange for the Dodgers to bench Shohei Ohtani, but it’s clear that pretending he’s healthy enough to provide meaningful at-bats isn’t helping.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

But unlike last time, Bath found a response as their reinforcements from the bench added grunt.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

“Hey, wait, we’re supposed to sit over there,” Quince says, pointing at the bench.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Sam Wilmot founded the Instagram account Rate This Bench in 2019 after jokingly judging benches while out walking with friends.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Bench players Luis Romo and Armando González, who also saw action in the opener, also play for Chivas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

The Canadian miner will seek relief from the Alberta Court of King’s Bench to facilitate an accelerated dissolution process.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

It is rated as the best programme for some elements of vibe coding according to ratings from App Bench and other analysts.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

If you were Indian, you knew all about Sandy June’s, eventually—and if you’re Indian from around here, how to find the Bench Tree opening, a nearly invisible entrance.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Revelers lock arms and sing together, climbing onto benches to dance as entire sections of a tent seem to move as one.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Some rested on cots and benches with their dogs in hallways, while others lay with blankets on the floors of classrooms where desks and chairs were pushed to the side.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Sleeping in flophouses and on bus stop benches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Moments earlier she had been sitting on the Reform benches and had been due to speak for the party in the chamber.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

The rows of spectators’ benches were packed with reporters and war protestors and a few curious celebrities.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Center fielder Andy Pages, who batted so poorly last October he was benched for the final three games of the World Series, is hitless in seven at-bats in this series, with four strikeouts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

The “It’s Not Unusual” singer has been a member of the coaching panel on the British incarnation of “The Voice” since it launched in 2012, though he was previously benched for the show’s fifth season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

He was then benched for England's run to the T20 World Cup semi-finals in the spring.

From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026

Ronaldo may still look like he belongs in a Marvel movie, but his dip in efficiency already saw him benched at the World Cup four years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

I could bring real ones up at the thought of being benched for our first game.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Before the game, Roberts admitted that she would consider benching some players if things didn’t improve.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

“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

She also has experience managing some of the company’s most delicate and important commercial and creative relationships, from the recent carriage dispute with YouTube TV to September’s benching and reinstatement of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 2, 2025

Inter coach Cristian Chivu started with Lautaro Martinez and Ange-Yoan Bonny up front, benching Marcus Thuram after Sunday's disappointing derby defeat by AC Milan.

From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025

Lemuel entered a lighted doorway from a bricked courtyard, and found himself with twenty or thirty houseless comrades in a large, square room, with benching against the wall for them to sit on.

From The Minister's Charge by William Dean Howells

Related Words

• board
• counter
• desk
• shelf