banquette

noun

ban·​quette baŋ-ˈket 

ban-

sense 1b also ˈbaŋ-kət

1

a

: a raised way along the inside of a parapet or trench for gunners or guns

b

Southern US : sidewalk

2

a

: a long upholstered bench

b

: a sofa having one roll-over arm

c

: a built-in usually upholstered bench along a wall

Examples of banquette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rollicking Japanese City Pop era tunes from the ‘80s and ‘90s keep energy levels up; on Sundays, off-duty geiko or maiko may be sitting at a cozy banquette nearby—they’re given a discount to encourage a local patronage, too. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026

The occasion was the 25th anniversary of The Wall Group, Brooke Wall’s styling agency, and Delilah — all low lights, curved leather banquettes and old-school supper-club mood — was full of hair stylists, makeup artists and wardrobe pros temporarily off the clock, though hardly off-brand. —Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026

Peninsula power The flow in this kitchen designed by Carrie Moore Interior Design, an AD Pro member, is optimized thanks to the banquette that allows for quick passing of plates back and forth. —Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 12 Mar. 2026

Colored with wood tones and cherry and mahogany counters and furniture, Kinsho centers around an 18-seat sushi bar and also includes banquette seating and a communal wooden table primarily reserved for walk-ins. —Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from Old Occitan banqueta, diminutive of banc bench, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English benc bench

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for banquette

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• brevet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette
• cadet