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:
“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
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're always strong, we pool our strength and one defends the other," María Luísa explains as she sits on a sofa next to her sister.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
According to the ministry, a sofa originally listed at 4,500 euros cost taxpayers around 2,000 euros, while a coat rack was reduced from 620 euros to 330 euros.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
He crept in and, leaning against the back of the worn black leather sofa, at last said, “Oh, is this one of the musical ones?”
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Television characters sitting around having conversations on sofas has served prolific producer Chuck Lorre very well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
England's victory was watched by millions of fans, who powered through the 02:00 BST kick-off gathering on their sofas and in packed pubs.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 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
Ifemelu had first watched Roots on video with Obinze and his mother, sunk into sofas in their living room in Nsukka.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
