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:
"It's going to be a slog, the sofa is heavier than in 2018, but it's such an incredible opportunity to meet our viewers."
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
She said she was expecting the sofa push to be one of her toughest challenges yet.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
“We all have the experience of finishing the day, relaxing on the sofa, watching videos and clicking ‘buy’ without thinking too much about it,” said Vivien Huang, Reckitt’s director of marketing in China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Instead, it was a sales manager in Bargersville, Ind., named AJ Woodin, sitting on his sofa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
She pulled Churro off the sofa and flipped it over, and up floated Tía Beatriz.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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
One of the home’s more fascinating features is a sunken conversation pit lined with sumptuous sofas in the living room.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 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
I’m not a fan of coming here, even though it has comfy sofas and tables where you can sit and work.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
