café

1 of 2

noun

ca·​fé ka-ˈfā How to pronounce café (audio)
kə-
variants or less commonly cafe
often attributive
Synonyms of cafénext
1
: a usually small and informal establishment serving various refreshments (such as coffee)
broadly : restaurant
2
3

CAFE

2 of 2

abbreviation

corporate average fuel economy

Examples of café in a Sentence

Noun the café presents nationally known jazz performers in an intimate setting a speakeasy that became a fashionable café with the repeal of prohibition
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Order a coffee at Minu, arguably the coolest cafe in Greece, and then sit in its garden or take it to go to explore the antique shops nearby. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2026 They were blamed for the Rio City cafe's sudden closure. Steve Large, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026 Inside this spacious, white-and-gold cafe with bright lights hanging from a high ceiling, 14 of the 20-plus tables are filled. Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026 That changed recently with the completion of new buildings — holding among other accouterments a self-serve kitchen, a library, a cafe and a film studio — and third-floor classrooms that look out over that beautiful blue expanse, long a symbol of freedom and possibility. Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026 The property comprises a larger structure, which housed Rio City Cafe, and a smaller building that the cafe used for supplemental prep. Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 24 Feb. 2026 Leonhardt co-owns the new South End cafe alongside owner-operator Mike Blank, the release said. Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 24 Feb. 2026 Camila Gabriel, of Wallingford, visits the cafe at least two to three times per month. Pamela Brown, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026 Stewart and Jane, a couple in their early sixties, struck up a conversation with us over tea and scones at Dunkeld cafe The Clootie Dumpling. Timothy Latterner, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French café coffee, café, from Turkish kahve — more at coffee

First Known Use

Noun

1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of café was in 1802

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Café.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caf%C3%A9. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

café

noun
ca·​fé
variants also cafe
ka-ˈfā How to pronounce café (audio)
kə-
1
: a usually small restaurant
2
3
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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