cafeteria-style

adjective

caf·​e·​te·​ria-style ˌka-fə-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌstī(-ə)l How to pronounce cafeteria-style (audio)
: cafeteria
cafeteria-style benefits

Examples of cafeteria-style 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.
Tucked in the back of the store lies a row of tables and an old-school cafeteria-style counter. Natalie Hoy, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026 Nebu, the cafeteria-style eatery, is open for breakfast and lunch every weekday. Janae Williams, Oklahoman, 3 Feb. 2026 Dinner is served by volunteers, cafeteria-style, and guests eat the meal out on the patio. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026 Meals are served cafeteria-style on the middle deck with warm rice, beans, pasta, and a choice of beef, chicken, or fish. Aaron Randolph, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025 Brennan, who had previously just played small background parts, went on to describe how his childhood home had a cafeteria-style milk machine and a milkman who delivered. Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 20 Oct. 2025 Check in starting at 11:30 a.m., with a cafeteria-style lunch serviced at noon. Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025 Only 15% of U.S. workers have access to cafeteria-style or flexible benefits, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Joseph Coughlin, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025 The visitation room Warden Jerry Goodwin escorted us into is large, square, and filled with cafeteria-style tables. Longreads, 8 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cafeteria-style was in 1906

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cafeteria-style.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cafeteria-style. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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