sofa
Americannoun
-
sofas
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sofa
1615–25; < Turkish < Arabic ṣuffah platform used as a seat
Explanation
A sofa is a piece of furniture that a few people can comfortably sit on together. On a rainy weekend, you and your friends might pile on the sofa to watch scary movies and eat popcorn. A sofa is similar to a couch — officially, it needs to seat at least three or more people to qualify as a sofa. If only two people can fit, it's a love seat. And if it's only big enough for you and your pet hedgehog, it's an armchair. Sofas are typically upholstered, with a high back and arms. The word originated from Turkish, from an Arabic root, suffa, "bench of stone or wood."
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.
See Examples For:
When a release lever on his sofa broke, Miller’s first instinct was to check Amazon.com for a spare part.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
The new gadget can detect, for example, if keys fall behind a sofa.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The home also has a long list of built-ins designed by Neutra, including a sofa system, dining table, and breakfast nook.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Everything was brown,” Weger says as she sits on a plush sofa covered in pink and chartreuse striped Christian Lacroix fabric.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
When everything comes into focus, I realize I’m lying on the small red sofa in the back office of Aunt J’s hair salon.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
In 2024, Miami-based TOV Furniture sourced 60% of its sofas, beds and other products from China, and only 25% from Vietnam.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Television characters sitting around having conversations on sofas has served prolific producer Chuck Lorre very well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
"Wall cabinets, sofas, coffee tables, dining tables, and chairs vanished in an instant. It was as if the entire building had been hollowed out," Wang told the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
Despite their desirable addresses, the flats were sometimes crowded, with the women having to sleep on sofas.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
The inspiration, he explained, had come from an old children’s book with the back cover missing which he’d found behind one of the sofas at the Cottages.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
