armchair

1 of 2

noun

arm·​chair ˈärm-ˌcher 

: a chair with armrests

armchair

2 of 2

adjective

1

: remote from direct dealing with problems : theoretical rather than practical

armchair strategists

2

: sharing vicariously in another's experiences

an armchair traveler

Examples of armchair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

He was surrounded by beige pleather armchairs gathered around low tables adorned with silk flowers. — Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 6 July 2026

The Karine armchair has some serious potential to become your new favorite chair with its sloped arms and relaxed silhouette, energized by a mellow shade of green. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 6 July 2026

Adjective

Over the weekend, the scandal-prone Swiss lender became a trending topic among armchair investors on Twitter and Reddit forums, who speculated that the bank was in trouble. — Margot Patrick, WSJ, 3 Oct. 2022

There is an army of armchair retail traders hell-bent on chasing the entire electric vehicle supply chain. — Moneyshow, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1585, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for armchair

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare
• cookware

Kids Definition

armchair

noun

arm·​chair

ˈärm-ˌche(ə)r, 

-ˌcha(ə)r;

ˈarm-ˈche(ə)r, 

-ˈcha(ə)r

: a chair with supports for a person's arms