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Synonyms

settee

American  
[set-tee] / sɛtˈti /

noun

  1. a seat for two or more persons, having a back and usually arms, and often upholstered.

settee British  
/ sɛˈtiː /

noun

  1. a seat, for two or more people, with a back and usually with arms

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of settee

First recorded in 1710–20; perhaps variant of settle 2

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.

The last time she had seen him, her "perfect little boy" and Robbie had been asleep on the living room settee.

From BBC • May 14, 2025

Jimenez likes a backless settee or daybed placed in front of a fireplace, so people can admire the flames facing one way and turn to converse with others in the opposite direction.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 8, 2024

Wright Auctions, a leading venue for the sales of contemporary design goods, has fetched five-figure deals for a Hans Wegner desk, a George Nakashima settee and a chair designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen.

From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2023

The fabulous settee is, unfortunately, a one-off, but it is very inviting.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2023

Everything was in a state of disarray—sewing projects abandoned upon the spinnet, shutters drawn, dogs sleeping on the settee, dirty plates and platters still lain on the table, the food crusted to their rims.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

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.