(in a church) one of a number of fixed, benchlike seats with backs, accessible by aisles, for the use of the congregation.
an enclosed seat in a church, or an enclosure with seats, usually reserved for a family or other group of worshipers.
those occupying pews; congregation.
one of several long benchlike seats with backs, used by the congregation
an enclosed compartment reserved for the use of a family or other small group
informal a seat (esp in the phrase take a pew )
1350–1400; Middle English puwe < Middle French puie balcony < Latin podia, plural (taken as singular) of podium balcony. See podium
A pew is a long wooden bench with a high back. You'll find many rows of pews in most churches. Some courtrooms have pews, but mostly they're found in churches, as seating for the congregation and sometimes for the members of a choir. After the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century, pews first began to appear in churches. Before that they were rare, as sitting and listening to a sermon was uncommon. Many of these earliest pews were paid for by (and considered the property of) individual families. Pew shares a Latin root with podium.
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According to new Pew Research Center data, working from home provides tremendous flexibility for people raising children.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 27, 2026
A series of recent Pew Research Center surveys reveal that 59% of us feel the country’s best days are behind us, and that only 34% believe most people can be trusted.
From Salon • Jun. 26, 2026
In 2023, California was home to about 2.3 million people without legal status, representing roughly 8% of the state’s labor force, according to the Pew Research Center.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
Nearly 6 in 10 Americans believe that our best days are behind us, according to Pew Research Center.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
And yeah, we look a little like Pepé Le Pew and his bewildered cat girlfriend, but we really do seem like a couple.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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.
