sofa
Americannoun
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:
But Winkleman's own chat show did not last long enough for any more unusual guest combinations on its teal sofa.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Not only would theaters and pay-TV distributors be harmed, but so would “audiences on every sofa and movie theater in the U.S.,”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
We’d progressed from walking in the park to perching across from each other in my living room to sitting side by side on the family room sofa.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Tempting as sprawling on the sofa might be, a bit of exercise will make you feel less tired in the long run.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
“You know, preseason doesn’t count,” Nana Abu says as he shuffles over to the sofa and switches on the TV, with the volume turned up extra loud.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
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
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
But there’s a lot to be said for testing sofas in a store, too.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 17, 2026
Not just the solid things like walls and tables and sofas, but the air in between.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
