seat
seat — noun
1. something that a person sits on, like a chair, or the place where you sit inside
something that a person sits on, like a chair, or the place where you sit inside a bus, train, or aircraft
Rin found a seat near the window on the morning train.
countable noun with preposition 'on'
All seats on the flight to Tokyo have been sold out.
The bus was full, so Linh had to stand because no seat was free.
Please return your seat to an upright position before landing.
collocation: upright position
- take a seat
- have a seat
- book a seat
- aisle seat
- window seat
- front seat
- back seat
Usage Note
Often used with words like 'front', 'back', 'window', 'aisle' to describe where the seat is located.
Common Mistakes
2. the flat or curved surface on a chair, stool, or other furniture where someone p
the flat or curved surface on a chair, stool, or other furniture where someone puts their bottom when they sit
The seat of the old wooden chair was worn smooth from years of use.
Mert replaced the broken seat of the kitchen stool with a new piece of wood.
Cushions on the seat make the dining chairs much more comfortable.
collocation: seat cushion
The trousers had a small tear in the seat that needed stitching up.
seat — the part of clothing covering the bottom
- seat cushion
- seat cover
- seat of the chair
- seat of the trousers
- base
more general; seat is specifically the sitting surface
Usage Note
For clothing, 'seat' refers to the part covering the bottom. This sense overlaps with sense 3 (body part) when describing clothing.
3. the rounded area on a person's body that contacts a chair when sitting; the bott
the rounded area on a person's body that contacts a chair when sitting; the bottom
Eshe slipped on the wet floor and landed hard on her seat.
The doctor asked the patient to shift forward so his seat rested on the exam table.
politeness: used instead of 'bottom' in formal settings
After four hours in the car, Wren's seat was sore from sitting too long.
Babies often wiggle and slide forward until only their seat is touching the high chair.
Usage Note
More polite than 'bottom' or 'buttocks' but less formal than 'posterior'. Common in polite conversation and with children.
Common Mistakes
4. the right or role of being a member of an important group such as a government,
the right or role of being a member of an important group such as a government, council, or committee
Benjamin won a seat on the city council after a close election race.
collocation: win a seat
Adina has held her seat in parliament for more than twelve years.
collocation: hold a seat
The party lost three seats in the regional election last November.
Two candidates are competing for a single seat on the school board.
- win a seat
- hold a seat
- lose a seat
- contest a seat
- seat in parliament
- seat on the council
- membership
broader; seat specifically implies a voting position on a governing body
- position
more general; seat is a type of elected or appointed position
Usage Note
Frequently used in political contexts. 'Contest a seat' means to try to be elected. 'Stand for a seat' means to be a candidate.
Common Mistakes
5. a desk or area in a workplace that belongs to a specific person and where they d
a desk or area in a workplace that belongs to a specific person and where they do their job
Tamás left his jacket on his seat and went to the meeting room.
The company assigned each new employee a seat in the open-plan office.
Mauricio decorated his seat with photos of his family and a small plant.
seat = workspace/desk area
Please keep your seat tidy so the cleaners can reach the desk surfaces.
- assigned seat
- return to your seat
- at your seat
- back to your seat
- desk
more specific: the actual table; seat implies the whole workstation area
- workstation
more formal/technical term for an assigned office area
Usage Note
Often used in the phrase 'back to your seat' when asking someone to return to their desk. In modern offices, 'seat' often implies a desk with a computer.
6. a place that has been reserved or offered to a student on an educational program
a place that has been reserved or offered to a student on an educational programme, training course, or at a university
Padma received a seat in the medical programme at National University.
collocation: receive a seat
The college has only two hundred seats available for first-year students.
Michael applied early to increase his chance of getting a seat in the popular course.
Several students turned down their seats, so the programme has openings again.
- get a seat
- offer a seat
- secure a seat
- accept a seat
- turn down a seat
- place
more general; seat in education specifically implies a reserved spot on a programme
Usage Note
Common in competitive admissions contexts. 'Secure a seat' implies getting a place by meeting entry requirements or through a selection process.
7. a town or city that serves as the main centre for a government, university, or m
a town or city that serves as the main centre for a government, university, or major business activity
Cambridge is long known as a seat of learning and scientific discovery.
collocation: seat of learning
The city became the seat of government after the capital was moved inland.
collocation: seat of government
Paris is the seat of many international organisations and their headquarters.
The county seat holds all the official records for the surrounding area.
- seat of government
- seat of learning
- seat of power
- county seat
- seat of the organisation
- centre
more general; seat implies official authority or historical importance
- headquarters
more specific to organisational/institutional contexts
- capital
specifically for political capitals; seat is broader
Usage Note
Almost always followed by 'of' plus a noun describing the activity (government, learning, commerce). Formal register; not used casually.
Common Mistakes
8. the position and posture that a rider adopts while sitting on a horse's back
the position and posture that a rider adopts while sitting on a horse's back
The instructor praised Ishaan for his strong and balanced seat on the horse.
collocation: balanced seat; strong seat
A good seat is essential for controlling the horse during jumps.
Beginners often struggle to keep their seat when the horse trots or canters.
The riding coach showed the student how to deepen her seat for better stability.
- strong seat
- balanced seat
- deep seat
- keep your seat
- lose your seat
Usage Note
An equestrian term. Used by horse riders and trainers. The phrase 'deep seat' means the rider sits low in the saddle with good contact.
to be in the position of control or power in a situation
After the merger, the smaller company was clearly in the driving seat.
Whoever wins the contract will be in the driving seat for years to come.
to be in a position where you have a clear advantage over others
With two job offers on the table, Adina was truly in the catbird seat.
The team that scores first will be in the catbird seat for the rest of the match.
very excited or interested in what is happening, so that you lean forward slightly
The thriller film was so gripping that the audience stayed on the edge of their seats.
Fans were on the edge of their seats during the final seconds of the basketball game.
take a back seat
idiomto let someone else take control or a more active role while you become less involved
After thirty years of running the business, Mauricio decided to take a back seat.
The professor took a back seat and let the students lead the discussion themselves.
to do something without a plan or preparation, relying only on your instinct and experience
We had no map or guide, so we flew by the seat of our pants through the old town.
New managers often fly by the seat of their pants until they learn the company routines.
bums on seats
idiomthe number of people who attend a show, event, or performance
The theatre's main goal was simply to get bums on seats for the new play.
Ticket prices were lowered to increase the number of bums on seats during the week.
To do something without planning or preparation, relying on luck or instinct.
Maya had no recipe, so she cooked by the seat of her pants.
Did Brian really fly by the seat of his pants during the presentation?
seat — verb
1. to guide or help someone to a particular chair or place to sit, especially in a
to guide or help someone to a particular chair or place to sit, especially in a formal setting such as a restaurant, theatre, or ceremony
The waiter seated Rin and her guests at a table by the window.
pattern: seat + person + at/near/by + location
Guests were seated according to their names on the wedding invitation cards.
passive form: be seated
Please wait here until an usher seats you in the hall.
The flight attendant seated families with young children near the front of the plane.
Linh was seated next to a retired professor during the formal dinner.
- seat a guest
- seat a customer
- be seated
- remain seated
- show to a seat
phrase, equivalent meaning
- usher
more specific; implies guiding with formality
Grammar Patterns
seat + object + preposition (at/in/by/near)
Usage Note
Common in passive voice ('be seated'). More polite than 'sit someone down'. The preposition varies by context: 'seat at a table', 'seat in a row', 'seat by the stage'.
Common Mistakes
2. to place your body on a chair or other surface and rest with your weight on your
to place your body on a chair or other surface and rest with your weight on your bottom, used formally with 'yourself' or 'oneself'
Benjamin seated himself at the head of the long conference table.
reflexive: seat + oneself
Please seat yourself anywhere you find comfortable in the waiting area.
The guests seated themselves quietly as the ceremony was about to begin.
Aiko seated herself on the garden bench and opened the novel she was reading.
- seat yourself
- seat oneself
- sit down
less formal and much more common in everyday speech
- take a seat
polite equivalent, intransitive verb phrase
Grammar Patterns
seat + yourself + preposition
Usage Note
More formal than 'sit down'. 'Seat yourself' is common in polite instructions. 'Sit' without a reflexive pronoun is the neutral everyday choice.
Common Mistakes
3. when a space such as a hall, restaurant, or bus seats a specific number, it cont
when a space such as a hall, restaurant, or bus seats a specific number, it contains enough chairs or room for that many people to sit down
The new concert hall seats two thousand people in its main auditorium.
pattern: venue + seats + number + people
This round table seats eight guests comfortably for a dinner party.
The minibus seats twelve passengers plus the driver.
Their backyard patio seats about forty people for summer barbecues.
- seat people
- seat passengers
- seat guests
- seat a crowd
- hold
broader; can include standing room, not just seats
- accommodate
more formal; includes seating and other arrangements
Grammar Patterns
venue + seats + number
Usage Note
A stative verb — it describes a fact about capacity, not an action. Cannot be used in continuous form ('The hall is seating 500' is incorrect). Often confused with 'sit' in learner writing.
Common Mistakes
4. to put chairs or other sitting surfaces into a building, room, or vehicle so tha
to put chairs or other sitting surfaces into a building, room, or vehicle so that people can use it
The stadium was newly seated with blue plastic chairs before the tournament.
passive: be seated with [type of chair]
The church seated its aisles with long wooden benches for the Sunday service.
The contractor seated the amphitheatre using reclaimed stone from the old quarry.
All classrooms have been seated with adjustable desks and chairs for student comfort.
- seat a hall
- seat a stadium
- seat with chairs
- newly seated
- furnish
broader; includes all types of furniture, not just seats
Grammar Patterns
be seated with + material
Usage Note
Less common than verb sense 3. This sense focuses on the act of furnishing with seats, not on capacity. Often used in passive voice describing how a venue is equipped.
5. to place someone in an important official role or position, often during a forma
to place someone in an important official role or position, often during a formal ceremony
The new director was seated in her role during a ceremony at the town hall.
passive: be seated in/into + position
The committee seated three new members at the annual general meeting.
Traditionally, the eldest son was seated as the heir to the family estate.
The newly seated board members will serve a four-year term starting next month.
- seat a member
- seat a representative
- newly seated
- be seated as
Grammar Patterns
seat + person + in/as + position
Usage Note
Overlaps with noun sense 4 (official position). Used primarily in formal, ceremonial, or historical contexts. 'Seat' here implies a formal installation with authority attached.
seat — suffix
1. used after a number to describe how many chairs or sitting places something has;
used after a number to describe how many chairs or sitting places something has; for example, a '200-seat theatre' has two hundred chairs for the audience
They booked tickets for a show at a five-hundred-seat theatre downtown.
pattern: number + -seat + noun
The airline uses a two-hundred-seat aircraft on its international routes.
Rin prefers smaller restaurants over large hundred-seat dining halls.
The new forty-seat classroom was equipped with modern projectors and screens.
- -seat theatre
- -seat aircraft
- -seat restaurant
- -seat classroom
Grammar Patterns
number + -seat + noun
Usage Note
Always hyphenated when used as a compound adjective before a noun (e.g., 'a 200-seat hall'). Do not use 'seats' (plural) in the compound form.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- seatedadjectiveB1
- seatingnounB2
- unseatverbC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
'Seat' is the broadest term: it describes any object or spot designed for sitting, including places in vehicles ('plane seat'), theatres ('front-row seat'), and parks ('a seat on the grass'). 'Chair' is more specific — a piece of furniture with a back and typically four legs, found in homes and offices. 'Bench' is a long, often backless, seat for multiple people, common in parks, schools, and changing rooms. 'Stool' has no back or armrests, designed for one person at a bar or counter. 'Place' is the most general: any location where a person can sit, even on the floor. For example: 'Please take your seat' (in a theatre or classroom); 'Pull up a chair' (around a table); 'Sit on the bench' (in a park); 'Perch on a stool' (at a counter); 'Find a place to sit' (anywhere).
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'seat' comes from Old English 'sǣte' (noun) and 'settan' (verb), both from the Germanic root *sitjanan, meaning 'to sit'. Related words exist in Old Norse ('sæti'), Old High German ('gisezzi'), and Dutch ('zit'). The modern English spelling settled in the Middle English period. The political sense ('seat in parliament') dates from the late 16th century, while the verb sense of 'capacity' ('the hall seats 500') emerged in the 19th century during the construction of large public venues.