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

The armchairs in the background are also by Daniel Orozco. —Katia Contreras, Architectural Digest, 19 June 2025

The main living spaces are on the middle floor and include a living room with a Nero Marquina marble fireplace and a cozy Ligne Roset sofa and armchairs. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 June 2025

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