window seat

American  

noun

1. a seat built beneath the sill of a recessed or other window.

2. a bench having two arms and no back.

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window seat British  

noun

1. a seat below a window, esp in a bay window

2. a seat beside a window in a bus, train, etc

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Etymology

Origin of window seat

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

When the next streetcar rolls in, the upper deck fills with a gaggle of schoolgirls, squabbling over who gets the window seat closest to the sea breeze.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

From a window seat I’d watch the platform glide away as vendors shoved gossip magazines through the bars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

While not everyone has the money to fly or the luck to grab a window seat, we can nonetheless celebrate the work through social media as well as traditional media outlets.

From Salon • Jul. 5, 2025

Benji is caustic, needling and selfish — the kind of guy who hogs the window seat, the shower and everyone’s attention.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2025

I took the window seat and, on the way, watched endless rows of lettuce and cauliflower whiz by.

From "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child" by Francisco Jiménez

Related Words

• love seat
• settee