cafeteria

1 of 2

noun

caf·​e·​te·​ria ˌka-fə-ˈtir-ē-ə 

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

Noun

Other examples Belsky cites include students using AI to redesign online games for blind players or improve the distribution of unused cafeteria food to food banks. — Ray Ravaglia, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Outside the window of my temporary office, everything is gray—gray leaves, gray sky, gray sidewalk, the students walking in pairs and trios toward the cafeteria, which hulks grayly on the horizon. — Literary Hub, 14 July 2026

Madame Tussauds at 234 W 42nd St lets kids pose with wax figures of celebrities and has a cafeteria inside for a snack break. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026

All 400 seats in the sweltering auditorium were filled, with an additional 300 people in the cafeteria. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

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

Phrases Containing cafeteria

• cafeteria-style

Rhymes for cafeteria

• arteria
• bacteria
• criteria
• diphtheria
• egeria
• listeria
• wisteria
• cyanobacteria
• mycobacteria

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