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:
“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
"He was wonderful. I loved him deeply, and I think I still kind of do a bit," says Overton, sitting on a sofa at her home in Derby.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 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
"They're the ones that are actually sleeping under the stars – not sofa surfing or in caravans or anything, they're actually rough sleeping," she says.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
She longed to be home, wrapped in the patchwork quilt that always lay on the end of the sofa.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Anecdotes and analysis are interspersed with photos of all sorts of sofas and couches, calling into question ideas about where and how we find respite and support — or not.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Although the company never spells it out explicitly, Birkin collectors say that shoppers who buy $100,000 sofas and $20,000 watches get offered the bags first.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 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
"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
Inside, red velvet fills their apartment, spilling over two fat sofas and two big armchairs, the kind that look like they would be fun to jump on.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
