bench

bench — noun

1. a narrow seat made of wood, stone, or metal that several people can sit on side

1.nounB2
Definition

a narrow seat made of wood, stone, or metal that several people can sit on side by side, typically placed in a park, garden, or other public area.

Example

Eitan sat on a wooden bench outside the library to eat his lunch.

sit on a bench

The park has stone benches along the path beside the rose garden.

benches along [path/wall]

Common collocations
  • park bench
  • wooden bench
  • stone bench
  • garden bench
  • sit on a bench
Synonyms
  • seat

    general word; a bench is a specific kind of seat for several people

  • pew

    a long bench specifically inside a church

Usage Note

Most often modified by a material (wooden, stone, metal) or a location (park, garden, church). Distinguish from sense 2 (work surface) by context: people sit on this one, but work on the other.

Common Mistakes

I sat in the bench.
I sat on the bench.
use 'on' with bench, not 'in'.

2. a strong, flat table where someone uses tools to build, repair, or shape things,

2.nounB2
Definition

a strong, flat table where someone uses tools to build, repair, or shape things, of the kind that carpenters and mechanics use in their workshops.

Example

Leila clamped the broken chair leg to her bench before sanding it.

clamp something to a bench

The garage had a long bench covered with tools and metal scraps.

Common collocations
  • work bench
  • carpenter's bench
  • tools on the bench
  • clamp to the bench
Synonyms
  • workbench

    the more specific compound; means exactly the same thing

  • worktable

    broader; covers tables for sewing or crafts as well

Usage Note

Often appears as the compound 'workbench'. Subject is usually a person making or repairing something with hand tools; rarely used for an office desk.

Common Mistakes

She studied at the bench.
She studied at the desk.
use 'desk' for studying or office work; 'bench' is for hands-on work with tools.

3. a padded narrow platform in a gym, used for lifting weights and similar exercise

3.noun
Definition

a padded narrow platform in a gym, used for lifting weights and similar exercises while lying flat on your back.

Example

Anaya lay flat on the bench and pressed the dumbbells above her chest.

lie on the bench

The trainer adjusted the bench to a steep angle for the next exercise.

adjust the bench

Common collocations
  • weight bench
  • lie on the bench
  • incline bench
  • adjustable bench
Synonyms

Usage Note

Almost always paired with weight-training verbs: lie on, sit on, press, adjust. Used in the compound 'bench press' for the specific chest exercise.

4. the place beside a field or court where members of a sports team wait their turn

4.noun
Definition

the place beside a field or court where members of a sports team wait their turn to enter the match; also used to mean the waiting players themselves.

Example

The coach kept his star striker on the bench for the first half.

on the bench (waiting to play)

Real Madrid have a strong bench full of experienced players.

a strong / deep bench

Common collocations
  • on the bench
  • off the bench
  • warm the bench
  • deep bench
  • strong bench
Synonyms
  • reserves

    the players, not the seat

  • substitutes

    British English; the players ready to come on

  • dugout

    the covered shelter where baseball or football reserves sit

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the bench

on the bench

off the bench

Usage Note

Frequently appears with 'on', 'off', 'from'. The phrase 'a deep / strong bench' means a team has many good reserve players. Distinguish from sense 1: this bench is always linked to a sports team, not just any seat.

Common Mistakes

He came out of the bench and scored.
He came off the bench and scored.
use 'off' (not 'out of') for entering a game from reserve.

5. the raised seat in a courtroom occupied by the judge; more broadly, the office h

5.noun
Definition

the raised seat in a courtroom occupied by the judge; more broadly, the office held by someone who decides legal cases, or all such officials taken together.

Example

The defendant stood quietly as the judge took her place on the bench.

take a place on the bench

Justice Zara was appointed to the bench after thirty years as a lawyer.

be appointed to the bench (= become a judge)

Common collocations
  • on the bench
  • approach the bench
  • appointed to the bench
  • raise to the bench
Synonyms
  • judiciary

    broader; the entire system of judges and courts

  • court

    can mean the institution, the room, or the judges; bench refers more narrowly to the judges

Antonyms
  • bar

    the lawyers who argue cases, as opposed to the judges who hear them

Grammar Patterns

the bench

Usage Note

Almost always 'the bench'. Formal and legal in register. Distinguish from sense 1: this is never a casual outdoor seat. From sense 6: this is law-court, not parliament.

Common Mistakes

She became judge of the bench.
She was appointed to the bench.
the fixed phrase is 'appointed to the bench', meaning become a judge.

6. one of the long seats arranged along each side of the British parliamentary cham

6.noun
Definition

one of the long seats arranged along each side of the British parliamentary chamber, often used to mean a specific party or group of MPs sitting there.

Example

The Prime Minister rose from the front bench to answer the question.

front bench (= senior politicians)

Cheers and laughter came from the Labour benches across the chamber.

[party] benches

Common collocations
  • front bench
  • back benches
  • opposition benches
  • government benches
  • Labour benches

Usage Note

Common compounds: 'front bench' (senior MPs and ministers), 'back benches' (ordinary MPs), 'opposition benches'. British politics specific; not used the same way in US Congress.

Common Mistakes

He sits in the front bench of Congress.
He sits on the front bench in Parliament.
use 'on the bench' and 'Parliament', not 'Congress' (this term is British).

bench — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words name something to sit on, but they differ in shape, length, and where you find them. A 'seat' is the most general term and covers almost anything you sit on, including a chair in a cinema or a place on a bus. A 'bench' is specifically long and narrow, made for two or more people side by side, and is most often outdoors in parks, gardens, and bus stops. A 'pew' is a long bench too, but almost always inside a church, fixed to the floor in rows facing the altar. A 'stool', by contrast, is short and round, has no back or arms, and is meant for one person — think of a kitchen stool or a stool at a bar. So if Gita sits at the bar, she is on a stool; if she rests in the park, she is on a bench; if she attends a wedding service, she sits on a pew.

bench ↗seat ↗pewstool

Common collocations

Nouns

  • park bench
  • work bench
  • weight bench
  • front bench
  • back bench

Phrases

  • take the bench
  • warm the bench
  • approach the bench
  • appointed to the bench

Prepositions

  • on the bench
  • off the bench
  • from the bench
  • to the bench

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Bench comes from Old English 'benc', meaning a long seat. It shares its origin with the modern German word 'Bank' (meaning both 'bench' and 'bank'), and goes back to a common Germanic root for a flat raised surface. The financial sense of 'bank' actually grew from the same root: early money-changers in Italy did business across a wooden bench in the marketplace, and the Italian 'banca' eventually gave English 'bank'. The legal sense (the judge's bench) and the sports sense (the reserves' bench) both developed from the simple core idea of a long seat reserved for a particular group of people.