café

1 of 2

noun

ca·​fé ka-ˈfā How to pronounce café (audio)
kə-
variants or less commonly cafe
often attributive
1
: a usually small and informal establishment serving various refreshments (such as coffee)
broadly : restaurant
2
3

CAFE

2 of 2

abbreviation

corporate average fuel economy

Examples of café in a Sentence

Noun the café presents nationally known jazz performers in an intimate setting a speakeasy that became a fashionable café with the repeal of prohibition
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Once the heart of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire in Norway, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is now home to artisan workshops, independent galleries, and cosy cafes. David Nikel, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025 Huge clients like Starbucks and Häagen-Dazs eat up the majority of the supply, leaving smaller cafes and chains out of luck as an entire industry tries to get their international logistics business up to speed. HubSpot, 20 June 2025 Photos of his beloved home city of Jerusalem are plastered around the cafe. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2025 On my trip, for example, there were no lines at attractions and restaurants, the one exception being Demel, the famed coffee house in Vienna with its marble cafe tables and elaborate confections, which still had people lining up down the block. Sherri Eisenberg, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2025 The cafe is near a Fortune School and a Kumon Math and Reading Center of Sacramento. Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2025 But nothing in Casablanca’s bustling Mers Sultan quarter, where trams rumble past shoe stores and cafes, looked remotely palatial. The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2025 Which is bad the same way every cafe in town being a Starbucks forcing a consistent menu on you is bad. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2025 Bars and Restaurants Surf through seven restaurants, cafes, and lounges onboard Quest. Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French café coffee, café, from Turkish kahve — more at coffee

First Known Use

Noun

1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of café was in 1802

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Café.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caf%C3%A9. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

café

noun
ca·​fé
variants also cafe
ka-ˈfā How to pronounce café (audio)
kə-
1
: a usually small restaurant
2
3
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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