back seat

noun

variants or less commonly backseat
1
: a seat in the back (as of an automobile)
2
: a secondary or inferior position
… the issues and concerns that have sometimes been given a back seatAl Gore
see also take a back seat

Examples of back seat in a Sentence

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.
Typically, law enforcement vehicles cannot be unlocked from the back seats. Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026 Randolph was loaded into the back seat of a police vehicle. Emerson Clarridge updated March 27, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026 All car seats and booster seats need to be secured in the back seat of the vehicle. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026 Already in the air, Carolyn moves from the back seat to the cockpit to sit next to her husband and hold his hand. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back seat

Word History

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of back seat was in 1715

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Cite this Entry

“Back seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20seat. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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