cafeteria

1 of 2

noun

caf·​e·​te·​ria ˌka-fə-ˈtir-ē-ə How to pronounce cafeteria (audio)
Synonyms of cafeterianext
1
: a restaurant in which the customers serve themselves or are served at a counter and take the food to tables to eat
2
: lunchroom sense 2

cafeteria

2 of 2

adjective

: providing a selection from which a choice may be made
cafeteria benefit plan
a cafeteria curriculum

Examples of cafeteria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The country buffet is a very specific genre of restaurant, with origins in the cafeterias and meat-and-threes of the South. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026 Inside the cafeteria, a wide-eyed crowd has gathered around a teacher showing off a magic trick. — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 There was the bustling cafeteria, Fashion Fair’s dressing rooms, the Ebony Test Kitchen, and artworks by Jacob Lawrence and Richard Hunt, not to mention the barbershop, fitness room, and apartment on the executive floor. — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Kendall teaches children and teenagers to break down anxiety-provoking situations, such as finding friends to sit with in the cafeteria or asking someone for a date, into smaller steps and planning what to do if something goes wrong. — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cafeteria

Word History

Etymology

Noun

American Spanish cafetería coffeehouse, from cafetera coffee maker, from French cafetière, from café

First Known Use

Noun

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cafeteria was in 1894

Phrases Containing cafeteria

Rhymes for cafeteria

See All Rhymes for cafeteria

Browse Nearby Words

cafetal
cafeteria
cafeteria car
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Cite this Entry

“Cafeteria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cafeteria. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cafeteria

noun
caf·​e·​te·​ria
ˌkaf-ə-ˈtir-ē-ə
1
: a restaurant in which the customers serve themselves or are served at a counter but carry their own food to their tables
2
: lunchroom

More from Merriam-Webster on cafeteria

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cafeteria

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cafeteria

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